


The Colonel's Little Tail

by CaptivatingLadySpinel



Series: The seven colors of the rainbow [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: COMSUBIN, F/M, Flashbacks, Life in a ship, Pre-Arcobaleno Curse (Katekyou Hitman Reborn!), The strongest seven - Freeform, This author had a headache researching that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2020-01-23 20:38:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 43,891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18557425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptivatingLadySpinel/pseuds/CaptivatingLadySpinel
Summary: Before Colonnello was Colonnello, he was a member of the Comando Reaggruppamento Subacquei e Incursori Teseo Tesei, COMSUBIN; Lieutenant Cornelio LaGuardia and this is how he became a crew member of the Portelli Unit which nobody dares to enter even if their lives depended on it.





	1. Colonel Portelli

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my shaky attempt at writing Military stuff and failing miserably because the plot won't let me deepen the topic that much so the tags might change with time, or might not... ~~It will depend on how lazy I am or if I remember to change them, lol~~
> 
> This is the second story in the rainbow series which I have throughoutly thought up from beginning to middle to end and it is kind of one of my favorites in the series.
> 
> I am not sure if the fic itself will be long. I doubt that. And the chapters will be a bit short with some long, depending on what I write. None will ever surpass the 10-pages mark like La Mia Stella does. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this and I thank the readers who are giving this fic a try :D

He felt it. Since a long time ago, he had a little tail following him.

He had finally entered the Raiders in the COMSUBIN. After years of hard labor in San Marco Marine Brigade, he was finally nominated and accepted into the Comando Reaggruppamento Subacquei e Incursori Teseo Tesei, in short COMSUBIN. It had always been his dream after his grandfather and father had belonged to it. It was some sort of tradition in his family and he wasn't one to break traditions. After all, he had been told countless marvelous stories of being part of the COMSUBIN. As a child, he thought they were awesome and now that he was part of it he only thought of one thing: ABOUT DAMN TIME, KORA!

The training was hell, the food was hell, the place where he slept... well, it's been some time he had slept on a decent bed so there was no comparison there. It was all training, training, training, oh and training. Has he mentioned training? The only saving grace from all the training was the Instructor. Major Nella Falco. Or how the other superiors call her, Major Lal Mirch. He had no idea where the name came from but it suit her really well.

"Lieutenant LaGuardia!"

"Yes, Major!"

"This is not the time for you to be daydreaming, give me 50 laps!"

"Yes, Major!"

Oh, yes, Lal Mirch was the perfect name for her.

As he was panting, sweaty and alone in the dark training grounds, he felt it again. Eyes that were watching him intently as if he was prey. It was a bit creepy and his heart always beat really fast either because of fear or excitement. Training was one thing but real battle was another. He had heard that there were always fights among the soldiers and that it wasn't rare for the newbies to be targeted. As a newbie in the Raiders, it was obvious that he had been targeted by someone. That made his blood boil; he was not a normal newbie.

Finishing his laps, he walked to the nearest faucets to drink some water and wash the sweat. The little tail followed behind getting closer and closer. Many time the tail hesitated but still kept stealthily moving closer. Actually if it wasn't because he had his Flames, then he wouldn't have been able to detect the little tail; it somehow disrupted the Tranquility in his body by the intensity of the gaze. He had been waiting for some time and now, he was going to see who his little tail was.

Closer, just a bit closer.

"Gotcha, kora!" He suddenly turned but his hand caught nothing. The little tail surprisingly had good reflexes and the moment he had turned, no, it was even before he turned around. The little tail had detected his movements and intentions beforehand and acted according to them. He was impressed but he instantly calmed down and chased after the little tail who was running away. "Wait, kora!"

A pursuit of cat and mouse began in the training grounds. The lithe little tail was really fast and he had a hard time following. He gritted his teeth and using his secret weapon, his Flames, he inconspicuously shot them to catch the little tail. But it was for naught when the little tail dizzily swerved to one side and his shot missed by millimeters. For a moment he thought that maybe he was going against an assassin but that thought disappeared when the little tail tripped.

"Now you are mine." He smirked and threw himself to tackle his opponent.

He quickly trapped the little tail's legs with his and his hands clamped on the little tail's wrists. The light from the headlights above the tall walls that surrounded the training grounds allowed him to see in the dark of the night that his little tail was a petite woman with short curly hair, pale skin and very green eyes. He was taken aback that his little tail was a woman but what was more surprising were the stars in her epaulettes. He jumped and immediately saluted.

"Colonel!"

Shit, shit, shit, shit... He couldn't believe he had just chased after a Colonel. Seeing her dust off her now disheveled uniform made him coldly sweat. He was so fucked up! He not only chased after a Colonel, he tackled a Colonel!

"At ease, Lieutenant." She said with a gentle and... shy voice?

He didn't dare to muck up things again and instantly adopted a resting position, his eyes looking straight head. The awkward silence that followed only made him more nervous. She was no doubt thinking of a way to punish him. Kora! He regretted not thinking before acting. Maybe she just wanted to talk with him but he scared her with his yelling or was this a test? The more he thought things the more nervous he got.

Just when the silence stretched for minutes, he gathered the courage to look at her only to discover that she was not there anymore. He sighed in relief but a chill ran down his spine because he hadn't heard her leaving, at all.

What had just happened?

 

...

 

"Lieutenant LaGuardia!"

"Yes, Major!"

"This is the second time this day I find you daydreaming. Do you want to receive your training or do you want me to kick you out from the Comando?!"

"Sorry, Major! I will do my best, Major!"

"You better do!"

Damn, Major Falco was more ferocious these days and nobody knew why. They just received the result of her hellish temperament while she stood watching them with eagle eyes. But he couldn't be blamed. It had been a couple of days since his little altercation with the little tail, cough, the Colonel and since then he hadn't felt those eyes again.

He had told his team members about his encounter and they all looked at him weird. Then came a plethora of stories of the many ghosts or spirits in the COMSUBIN camp ranging from a whole unit that is sometimes heard marching in the training grounds late at night, the echoes of a long time deceased Captain giving orders to the Colonel woman who was accidentally killed in a shooting training while she was inspecting. Many believed that he had encountered that Colonel woman.

He only had one thing to say to those stories: WHAT BULLSHIT, KORA!

It was obvious the Colonel was very much alive; he felt her. She had bones, muscles and flesh, he even spoke with her. Well, they said some ghosts talk with you but she was different. He totally ignored the fact that she had disappeared right in front of him.

Though, all thoughts of the Colonel were tossed to the back of his mind due to the hellish training from Major Falco. And with time, he totally forgot about her when Major Falco finally corresponded his feelings.

 

...

 

"Lieutenant LaGuardia, you have been assigned to the Portelli unit. Go to dock 7 to report to the Colonel there." One of the Captains relayed the information while he was personally training with Major Falco, now his girlfriend.

"Understood, Captain!" He replied with a salute though in his heart he was disappointed. He wanted to be assigned to the same unit as Lal.

"Hey," Lal Mirch called with a soft voice also a bit disappointed at the news. "Be careful."

"Don't worry. I have been trained for months by you, do you think I won't do well in other units?" He smirked while messing her hair.

She put on her signature frown and with a glare she said, "I mean it! Be careful in Portelli's unit. It is the unit with the most completed missions and recognition in the whole camp but it is also the one assigned the most dangerous missions nobody else want to take. The group is composed by madmen and they say that Colonel Portelli is equally or even crazier than the crew." She finished with concern in her voice.

His smirk turned into a gentle smile and swooped down to steal a kiss from her.

"I'll be fine." He said before running away from the fuming Lal Mirch.

While he made his way towards Dock 7, he noticed something strange. From Dock 5, the people around became less and less and just before arriving at Dock 7, the place was completed deserted. His nerves were taut and he gulped before arriving at the dock before one of the Y499 Alcide Pedretti boats in the Comando. There was nobody to receive him so he made his way into the boat.

The moment he stepped into the deck, he felt a knife pressed against his nape making him freeze.

" _The echoes of Rain in a known sigh formed from the breath I have no more."_ A tinkling voice said from behind but instead of being melodic according to the poetry it was spewing, it sounded creepy. " _Tired of the combat I live fighting, some days I remember with envy that dark and hidden corner..."_

"Stop scaring the newbies, Lovegood. It's no wonder nobody wants to be part of the crew." From the cabin a blonde man appeared wearing a well-ironed uniform with the epaulettes showing his rank as Lieutenant Colonel.

The blade disappeared from his neck and the voice composed while trailing off. " _On the imposing ship from the Byzantine Temple, I saw the gothic tomb, to the indecisive light..."_

"Right, sorry about that. You must be Lt. LaGuardia, right?" The blonde man gestured for the newly arrived member to follow him into the cabin and then down the ladder to the inner part of the ship. As the ship wasn't that big, it wasn't long before they had arrived before the Captain's Room from where loud voices could be heard. The moment the blonde man opened the door, the voices stopped.

Entering the room, Lt. LaGuardia could see a big table right in the middle which accommodated four people. On the right there were a sandy-haired man who was wearing cargo pants and a sleeveless shirt showing his muscles and a fair share of tattoos and next to him was a prim lady with a high ponytail daintily drinking what seem to be tea. On his left were a set of red-haired twins who wore equally mischievous smirks on their faces. The blonde man who brought him in sat beside the prim lady and from the corner of his eye he could see a blonde woman quietly sitting in the corner of the room.

The crew looked very normal if he disregarded that every one of them was a Lt. Colonel but what made him stand rooted in place was the person at the head of the table. It was a petite woman with curly short hair, pale skin and very green eyes.

"Present yourselves." The woman placidly said.

"Hi, this is Fred..." One of the twins began

"... and George..." The other one continued

"...Weasley, at your service." To then finish at the same time. Right, he wasn't going to remember who was who.

 _"I am the drifting Cloud that weaves in the twilight; I am the wandering star, the luminescent star."_ The blonde woman that he could now identify as the one who had pressed the knife on his nape back at the deck said.

"That is Luna Lovegood. My name is Draco Malfoy, the doctor in the ship." The blonde man presented instead.

"Astoria Greengrass, the Navigator." The prim lady came next.

"Nice ta meet ya! Name's Seamus, the weapons expert. Welcome on board!" The sandy-haired man cheerfully said and he identified the voice as the loud one that was speaking before.

"Iris Portelli."

" _Monks from a life of combat, you asked peace to the silent cloister; to the one who is Iris of calm in the storms praying for us."_ The weird blonde woman interjected.

"Thanks, Luna. Now, the rules: there are no ranks in this ship. Everybody is important in the crew. If you want to fight, do it on sunny days. You wash your own clothes and cook your own food. If you clog the bathroom, don't panic and call for Seamus to blow it up. Leave the bath alone on Saturdays. If you have sexual needs and a partner to release them with, tell me beforehand to accommodate schedules. Pets are allowed. If you see any weird substance moving around the deck, then call the twins to get rid of it. IF they can't get rid of it, then call me. Movie day is on Fridays. And finally, once in the crew you can only leave if you die. Any questions, Cornelio LaGuardia?"

He only had one thing to say to that: THE FUCK DID HE GET INTO, KORA?


	2. My position

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is Lt. LaGuardia's position in the ship?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, with this chapter we close the special week.
> 
> I find it funny that this chapter was actually the very first I wrote but it is the last to be posted. It had been sitting there for so long xD
> 
> From tomorrow onwards we go back to the twice a week updates from Il Nostro Cielo. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading! :D

* * *

 

“Enemies ahead!”

The sudden yell startled Lt. LaGuardia. They had been sailing for a couple of days and he still had no idea what their mission was.

It wasn’t hard to get along with Portelli’s unit. The twins were fun to be around with, always installing pranks and always being punished for it. Seamus was mostly locked up in his room (he got one for himself alone) creating this and that thing, sometimes involving the twins. More often than not there was an explosion coming from his room and many times Lt. LaGuardia feared the ship would sink, yet it remained floating. His roommate, Draco, was nice if you disregarded his haughtiness and sharp tongue. He was the go-to-person if you needed to know anything. Astoria was taciturn and seldom talked. She did get along with everybody though. The only occasion Lt. LaGuardia approached Luna, he regretted it.

_“…ideas without words, words with no sense; cadence that have neither rhythm nor compass…”_

That was her answer when he asked if the ship had a training room. After getting that answer, he went to look for it alone only to find the most troublesome person inside: Iris Portelli. Colonel Portelli was destroying a dummy with her strong punches and swift kicks. Not once the dummy fell to the floor as she kept attacking; never slowing her tempo and always changing positions to receive the dummy to attack it again until the dummy collapsed under the barrage. Exhaling, she coolly brushed her hair with her fingers. And when she noticed him, she stood frozen to then bolt out of the room.

What’s wrong with her, kora?!

Either way, that just happened once and he never encountered her again in the training room when he went to use it. According to protocol, a ship couldn’t sail if it wasn’t authorized to sail; meaning, if it didn’t have any mission. So sailing for days without any goal was a bit tedious for him. When he asked, everybody said to ask Iris, yet Iris seemed to be actively avoiding him. He didn’t know why and left it at that. It wasn’t until this day that they finally had something to do.

Lt. LaGuardia got ready and ran towards the deck only to hear a man suddenly yell, “Hoist the color and prepare for battle!” He barely saw a black flag rising from the opposite ship.

“You’re kidding me! Pirates?!” He exclaimed.

Iris was standing at the bow, the ocean breeze swaying her jacket around looking very calm.

“Lucky man, Cornelio. It seems this is going to be your very first great adventure.” One of the twins said with a wistful voice and an arm around Lt. LaGuardia’s shoulder.

“Just try your best not to die.” The other twin advised with an air of wisdom.

“ _Above the abyss I am that bridge that goes through; I am the unknown scale that joins heaven and earth.”_

“Well said, Luna!” Twin A exclaimed.

“Truly inspiring.” Twin B even applauded.

Cornelio LaGuardia was dumbfounded. Pirates were attacking and three crew members were dilly-dallying admiring poesy and giving useless advices? He wondered if he would survive with this unit. He shook his head. He needed to survive. If not for him at least for his girlfriend, Nella Falco.

“Prepare the cannons!” Yelled the captain of the pirate ship.

Actually, it was not the common pirate ship of olden times. It looked like one of those fishing ships, though, Lt. LaGuardia wasn’t naïve enough to think the ship wasn’t reinforced and even armed. The captain even commanded to prepare the cannons. He waited for his captain’s orders which never came. He anxiously walked towards her to ask her what were her orders but just when he was about to ask, she commanded.

“Bow cannons, Seamus. Fred, George and Luna, prepare to board.” Her low voice couldn’t travel across the ship, however, the others were able to hear her clearly.

“Aye, Iris!”

She turned and looked at him with a smile. “Watch and learn, Cornelio LaGuardia. What is your position on this ship?”

He once again stood dumbfounded on deck until he saw her jump from the railings into the water. Three more blurs passed him by doing the same as Iris and just a millisecond later, the loud roar of cannons was heard. Lt. LaGuardia thought it was enemy fire and quickly ducked only to realize a second later the shot came from their own ship. He peered above the railings and what he saw almost made his jaw drop.

Iris, Luna, Fred and George were riding the cannon balls flying towards the enemy ship. The aiming was very precise and it hit the port side. The four preemptively jumped on deck and started attacking the people who were in disarray noticing they had enemies on board. The enemy ship wasn’t far but it wasn’t near either so Lt. LaGuardia could barely discern the battle raging on the enemy ship. He could tell that the pirates were falling one after the other.

A group of madmen, that’s how his girlfriend had described them and he had to agree. Though, he could feel his blood boil remembering how they rode on the cannon balls as if they were strolling around a park. He liked being in COMSUBIN, it was his dream, but sometimes he felt it was not where he was supposed to be. It had been a couple of days and he felt he had found that place where he could be himself, where he could find all those adventures his Father and Grandfather talked about. He finally felt he belonged.

The battle soon ended and a hook was shot towards the pirate ship, a chain following until it broke through the enemy ship’s hull. Four people made their way swiftly running on the chain, jumping on deck when they were close. The first to board was Iris. Lt. LaGuardia approached her to exclaim how awesome she was but before he could even open his mouth, he received a cold glance from her and walked past him without saying a word. Those feelings of belonging soon vanished with her cold eyes and he immediately felt empty.

“Cheer up, Cornelio. We all went through the same cold eyes.” Fred… or was it George, consoled.

“ _The soul that seeks paradise, looking without faith; tires without objective, rolls like waves and still ignores why.”_ Luna composed, looking at the retreating figure of Iris.

“Exactly like Luna said. What are you looking for, Cornelio?” The twin Lt. LaGuardia dubbed as George nodded then looked at him with serious eyes.

The three left him on deck after they said their piece. _What is your position on this ship?_ She had asked. And only then he started thinking. He got along with the crew members yet he always showed a bit of reluctance being there. His thoughts had always revolved around wanting to be in the same unit as Lal Mirch. Orders made him enter Portelli’s unit and there was nothing he could do but try to fit. Just a moment ago, he had finally found that feeling of belonging in the crew only to pop like soap bubble and go back to square one.

What did he exactly want, kora?!

If his convoluted thoughts weren’t enough, then the sudden storm that came put the icing to the cake.

“They are coming from the starboard, Iris!” Astoria suddenly yelled.

It turned out that the little ship they had just defeated was a mere scout from the fleet that was already moving to encircle them. The sudden storm helped them immensely to hide and set up their ambush. Six crew members stood on deck looking around at the ships that had successfully completed their encirclement and looked ready to fire their weapons.

“Damn, those pirates!” Cursed Seamus. “Let them come and they will taste my weapons!”

“Get the whole artillery ready, Seamus. If our ship sinks, I will hold you responsible for the paperwork.” Iris commanded and threatened.

“Aye, Captain!” Seamus immediately saluted, his face pale. He preferred to die than dealing with paperwork.

“Everybody else prepare for deflecting maneuvers and counterattack.”

Astoria and Draco made their way towards the ladder on the side to step on the roof. Astoria was holding what looked like a harpoon, attentively hearing to whatever Draco was telling her. The twins walked towards the stern, Luna taking the bow and Iris going to the port side. Lt. LaGuardia still stood near the bow and Luna kindly gestured him to take the starboard side that had nobody in it. He had no idea what kind of deflecting maneuvers they were doing but he still prepared his rifle for whatever attack that came.

“FIRE!”

Came the order from one of the pirate ships.

_Boom! Boom! Boom!_

The cannons sounded and a carpet of artillery flew towards them. Lt. LaGuardia felt the air leave his body; his only thought was: I AM SO DEAD, KORA! Tightly gripping his rifle, he prepared himself. The storm kept raging, the ship rocked violently due to the waves but the seven members in the small ship didn’t so much as blink, as if they weren’t under attack. Suddenly, the sky brightened and lightning came crashing down. Lt. LaGuardia noticed the lightning was coming straight towards them and inwardly cursed at their bad luck. Yet, something out of this world happened.

Astoria raised her harpoon catching the lightning in it. Draco quickly stabbed Astoria’s back with his fingers and she grunted. Next she spun the harpoon and tendrils of the lightning dispersed around them, heading towards the artillery and getting rid of the majority of the ammunition fired at them. The artillery that wasn’t destroyed exploded near their ship making it violently sway with the waves. They couldn’t even steady themselves when a second round of artillery was fired.

The ship suddenly sounded a sharp whistled and dozens of small missiles were shot from all around it. It was obvious that the amount wouldn’t be enough to stop the hundreds of shots flying towards them but at the last second, the missiles multiplied as if it was magic destroying the rest of the artillery. Some of it escaped from their fate and again exploded on the waters near the ship. After two rounds, they weren’t safe yet. With dozens of ships in the fleet firing at the same time, it looked as if their ammunition was infinite and the third round was fired.

“Draco!” Iris shouted.

Lt. LaGuardia turned to look at her. She used the railings as leverage and jumped towards the roof of the bridge where Draco caught her extended hand and with monstrous force he threw her up. Reaching a considerable height, she hovered in the air and then she exploded. Lt. LaGuardia thought he was dreaming or that he was already dead and was seeing some kind of utopic situation in which he was saved but in reality he wasn’t. Though, his eyes weren’t betraying him, Iris Portelli exploded like a supernova, sending flames around them and destroying not only the artillery fired but also some of the ships that had sneakily been getting closed to them.

Her body hovered for a second more before falling at high speed. With the ship continuously moving thanks to the rolling waves, Iris had no chance to land on the deck’s ship. Lt. LaGuardia didn’t think it twice before running to the other side of the ship and jumped over the railings in an attempt to catch her. He heard the other member yell something but he paid no attention to it. Just when he was about to catch Iris, she suddenly changed directions. He only saw a close-up of her surprised face before she crashed against him sending them both towards the ship.

The perfect landing Iris had calculated was ruined by Cornelio LaGuardia’s chivalrous actions. Both rolled on the deck sliding across it due to the water until they stopped thanks to the ship’s railings. Lt. LaGuardia, despite his failed rescue, made sure to envelop her body with his so she wouldn’t hurt herself due to the disastrous landing. With her body above, she quickly sat up and looked down at him.

“Are you ok?” She asked concerned, her hands checking his body for any wound, cut or bump.

“I’m ok.” He replied with a tight voice.

“Oh, that’s good.” She sighed. She had thought he would have at least hurt his head with the force at which they crashed into each other. Her head surely shook a bit and she almost fainted.

“It’s very good.” He agreed trying his best to control his expression.

“Task accomplished, Captain.” The twins said at the same time, standing beside them.

Iris twisted her body and Lt. LaGuardia grunted. “We board in a minute, then. Get ready!” She finally stood up and walked towards Astoria to give her a few instructions leaving the three men looking at her busy figure.

“So…” The twins suddenly said in unison.

“How was it?” On twin asked.

“Getting a ride from our hot Captain?” The other added.

“Did you enjoy it?” They again said in unison with a suggestive tone, even their wriggling eyebrows moved in the same way.

“Fuck off!” Lt. LaGuardia shouted. The twins left with a laugh not really needing an answer to their questions as the obvious tent in his pants was proof enough. The poor Lt. was a man after all and the stimulation from her sitting on his sensitive part while she constantly moved plus the rocking of the ship, created enough friction to elicit a response from him. It was a relief she hadn’t noticed. That could count as disrespecting his superiors, right?

 _I’m sorry, Lal. It wasn’t my fault._ He mentally apologized to his girlfriend.

After calming down, he sat up too and looked around. The other seven had already changed positions. Astoria was back to the bridge, taking control of the ship. Seamus was giving away some gadgets. Iris was looking at the encirclement as if planning something. While Draco, Luna, Fred and George were equipping themselves as if they were going to assault a base. They looked very calm going around their tasks that Lt. LaGuardia felt weird. A glance to the side made him understand what made him feel weird. They were no longer under attack. They were even beside one of the ships that was firing towards a replica of their ship still in the middle of the encirclement.

Lt. LaGuardia rubbed his eyes but no, the fake ship was still there, still fending off attack after attack. A mirage? He pondered. Did he hit his head and was starting to imagine things?

“LaGuardia, are you coming or are you staying?” Iris asked him no longer looking at him coldly. It seemed five of them were going to directly attack the ships while Astoria and Seamus stayed to defend their Y 499 Alcide Pedretti.

_What is your position on this ship?_

The question sprung up again in his mind and looking at the expectant eyes of Iris Portelli, feeling again as if he belonged, he didn’t hesitate anymore. “I may be good at combat, Colonel. But my specialty has been and will always be shooting. I will stay.”

Iris smiled at him and patted his shoulder, well, poked his shoulder because she was smaller than him by almost four heads. He was no giant but she was simply too small. “Welcome, Cornelio.” She said to then shoot a hook towards the hull’s ship on their right and up she went thanks to the recoil of the hook.

“Welcome, Cornelio.” The twins saluted him and they left too.

“Welcome, pal!” Seamus hit his shoulder and off he went inside the ship to keep commandeering the weapons.

“It’s nice to have you on board, Cornelio.” Draco elegantly nodded at him and also shoot the hook to join the fun up there.

 _“I go my way, they go their way; but thinking about our mutual fate, I say still: Why didn’t I find them before?”_ Luna’s melodious voice resounded while she slowly moved up as if she was a spirit ascending towards heaven.

“I will allow you to use my spot, Cornelio.” Astoria said pointing at the roof of the bridge.

Never before had Cornelio LaGuardia felt so free, so himself. He took a deep breath and with a jump, he stood on top of the roof. The ship wasn’t as tall as the ones from the enemy’s fleet but he still had a better view. Ideally, he should be laying down yet he still wanted to have an eye on the other crew members, what they were doing and how he could help them. He expertly assembled his sniper rifle adding some parts to his rifle while keeping an eye on his comrades who were already kicking the asses of those pirates.

No matter how discrete they tried to be, the enemies were bound to find them. Still it was a breathtaking scene seeing them fight. Iris took the vanguard position leading them through the less clustered path taking care of the first round of enemies, leaving the rest to the others. On her left were the twins who seemed to be playing with their opponents, often leaving some running in circles or attacking a fellow pirate. Luna would silently appear behind or beside a pirate finishing them in one blow. It would appear that they were the most important part in the formation but it was actually Draco, who stood in the middle of the other four.

Facing countless opponents was tiring for the four fighting them but it seemed that Draco would timely give them some kind of boost by stabbing any part of their bodies with his fingers. Though, there were times he would also attack those pirates that got close to him with that same jab of his fingers, however, instead of receiving a boost of energy, the pirates toppled and never stood up again. It looked like a well practiced formation for when they faced many enemies.

Done with his analysis, Cornelio found an opportunity to be of use. Taking a deep breath and careful aim with the help of the scope, ignoring the storm heavily falling on him and the raging wind that rocked the ship, his finger fluidly pressed the trigger and the bullet flew towards its target: the middle of a mob running towards Iris. The bullet exploded and a bizarre scene ensued. The mob slowed down giving Iris and the others time to finish the ones they were fighting to then engage the slow mob. With Cornelio’s aid, the five smoothly continued their journey from ship to ship.

The flag ship from the pirate’s fleet finally notice that they were not attacking a real ship and they were instead being attacked from the inside. Locating the real ship wasn’t difficult, what was hard was finding the appropriate angle to fire at it. Even if there was a storm, Astoria expertly maneuvered the ship to always be in a position where it was neigh impossible to be hit. Of course, the pirates were quick-witted and instantly broke up the encirclement wanting to isolate the five that were attacking the ships. They were cold-blooded enough to fire at their own ship just to get rid of the five stowaways.

The idea was sound; the problem was that Iris and the others had no issue jumping from one ship to the other thanks to Seamus gadgets, no matter the length of the jump. With the encirclement broken, the constant and wild movements because of the storm and the threat of the lucky artillery that made its way towards the Alcide, Cornelio had less and less chances to fire and help his comrades. Either way, Iris and the others had already swept through most of the ships and were looking to go back to the ship to let Seamus take care of the last ones.

Driven to a corner, the Captain on board of the flag ship performed a desperate action: he made the ship forcefully make its way towards the small Y499 to sink it by crashing against it. The big ship came all of a sudden and Astoria still had to dodge the random artillery being shot at them.

“Seamus!” She yelled.

“There’s not enough time for the big cannon!” Seamus yelled back, also anxious at their situation.

Cornelio saw the big ship rapidly making its way towards them and gritting his teeth, made a decision. There was no time get comfortable lying down so he merely kneeled hoping to soften the recoil from his special shot. Aiming at a place of the ship where he could deal optimal damage, he tightened his muscles and fired.

“GO, KORA!”

_Maximum Burst!_

A huge amount of energy shot out from the small muzzle impacting with the big ship and leaving a huge hole in the hull getting it to sink at a fast pace. Cornelio, meanwhile, couldn’t stand the recoil from the shot and plunged into the towering waves from the ocean. The force sent him deep into the water with no chance to swim back to the surface. Cornelio closed his eyes knowing it was his end, he silently apologized to Nella, his Lal Mirch for not going back to her. He felt it was a shame they hadn’t gone beyond kissing but it was no use in regretting it. He just hope she didn’t feel too sad when he was gone.

In the darkness and coldness of the water he could feel a bit of warmth and a dim light coming at him. He guessed he was on the verge of dying and his body was trying to make his death a bit more comfortable. He opened his eyes to welcome whatever was to come but what he saw was Iris Portelli rapidly swimming towards him. She was enveloped in a sheen of orange light with a bigger light flickering on her forehead. Her determined gaze, ablazed self and soft lips… huh?

WHY WAS SHE KISSING HIM, KORA?!

Oh! Oh… He hadn’t noticed he had no air in his lungs after the recoil forced his air out before taking a dive into the ocean and she was passing him a bit of hers so his body wouldn’t go into a seizure. She placed his arm around her small shoulders and towed him to the surface. Cornelio felt he was gliding through the water but he wasn’t paying attention to that but to the warmth she was emanating. It was like having a blanket during winter, or an umbrella when it rained, or an ice cream during summer. It was like having good wine on a picnic during spring, surrounded by flowers and gazing at the vast sky.

The all-encompassing, always-present, accepting Sky.

I’m home, kora…

That was his last thought before he lost consciousness.

 

 


	3. Schemes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eeney Meeney Miney Mo, which Rain will Checker Face get? The one Iris lets him get his paws on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third chapter and we begin with the schemes... so insidious xD
> 
> You will notice the pace in this fic will be a bit fast but that is because the fic only takes place in a timeframe of a month, so nothing much will happen. I will still make it packed with lots of things going on and throwing information left, right and center xD So be prepared!
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 

When Cornelio woke up, he was laying on a hospital bed. There was no swaying typical of a sailing boat so he easily surmised he was in land. He didn’t have any injuries according to himself so it was probably just a preventive measure to send him to the COMSUBIN’s own hospital. Making sure he was ok, next thing that earned his attention were the voices outside his room, or more like, the agitated voice of a woman, of Major Falco, his girlfriend. His heart was filled with warmth knowing she was worried about him but then it jerked when he actually listened to what she was saying.

“It’s all your fault he is hurt! You and your crazy crew of suicidal madmen!”

No matter how touched Cornelio was for the care his girlfriend showed, she was scolding and yelling at a Colonel; the highest rank one could find in the field. And to top it off, that Colonel was his captain, his direct superior; hell, even his crew members had a higher rank than Lal and she had the courage to blame them for his visit to the hospital. Cold sweat started to form in his body and he hurriedly stood up with shaky legs to move towards the door. The scene outside frightened him and his stomach dropped.

WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU CORNERING A COLONEL, KORA!?

“Nella!” He called out with fear in his voice. Since she became his girlfriend, it was rare for him to call her name. He mostly called her by her nickname Lal Mirch; that’s why she turned to look at him with a surprised face. He glanced at his captain and his body stiffened noticing the cold gaze with which Iris was looking at him. It was obvious she was blaming him for such a shameful scene as Lal was his girlfriend. A girlfriend nobody knew of but everybody suspected of. Yes, they were somehow secretely dating.

“It seems the discipline in the COMSUBIN has deteriorated so much that even a Major has the guts to scold a Colonel and a crew full of Lieutenant colonels. I believe the higher ups will be delighted to hear about this; await for your punishment, Major Falco. Come guys, we have to leave before the girlfriend starts accusing us of murder, too.” Iris said in a commanding tone to then make her way out followed by the other crew members who threw him and Lal a fleeting glance.

Cornelio didn’t know what that glance meant but he suddenly felt cold. His heart even clenched when he heard Luna’s parting words.

“ _A shame love, in a dictionary, cannot find when pride is simple pride and when it is dignity.”_

He took a deep breath and turned towards his pale girlfriend. He was thankful for her words, he really was but they were just told to the wrong people, at the wrong time. He had recently entered the Unit and he was already related to a case of indirect insubordination. “Nella.” He softly called out, grabbing her hand. His heart twisted feeling the subtle shaking in her hands and he felt like hugging her.

She, however, had other plans in her mind and quickly retrieved her hand to then look at him with guilt. “I… I’m sorry, Cornelio. This… I was just worried when I heard you were sent to the hospital after your first mission, and I...”

Cornelio sighed. “I know. I can’t blame you. Whatever comes, it will come and I will be beside you.”

Lal shook her head. “No, Cornelio, this has nothing to do with you. I will take full responsibility.”

"Don't you trust me?" He asked in a small voice yet he only got a shallow smile in response before she turned and left.

He knew he shouldn’t feel bitter about her words and actions but it was always the same. Lal has always been an unreasonably stubborn person yet for once he wanted her to trust in him, to rely on him. After all, he was young but not stupid; but above all, he was her partner. He sighed and just returned to his room to rest. 

He still had to wait about the results of what had recently happened.

Major Nella Falco’s punishment came the following day and she was suspended for a month. That was already considered lenient but the real consequence of her actions was the stain in her once spotless profile. If she ever left the COMSUBIN to enter another forces, that sole case of insubordination and disrespect towards her superiors might make the other forces hesitate in recruiting her. Of course, that would happen if nobody spoke up for her but the doubt was still there. Major Nella Falco was already marked with the stigma of being an insubordinated soldier.

Cornelio knew of the verdict as he stood in the captain’s room to report himself for his duties after a day in convalescence. Iris had received a notification with the results of the offense towards her and her crew.

“Do you blame me, Cornelio?” Iris finally asked after she put the paper down and showed it to him.

Did he blame her? He paused and pondered for a few seconds. “I don’t blame you, Colonel.” He said with conviction. “Rules are rules and her actions needed to be punished, I accept that.”

“Really?” She drawled sharply looking at him.

Cornelio felt like an ant in a hot pan but tried his best to remain calm. His Flames helped a lot, too. “Major Falco made a mistake and she is now facing the consequences.” He slowly said trying to sound righteous but he didn’t like his own words and he added, “She is normally a level-headed person and thinks before acting. Her impulsiveness was because of me, so I only blame myself.” At the end, he couldn’t be harsh on her. She was his girlfriend, after all, and his words were the sincere truth. Lal was never one to act impulsively; she even thought a lot before agreeing to be his girlfriend.

He ignored the reason of why she took so long to reply him but he only cared about the result.

“Is that right?” The cold words took him out of his musings and only then he noticed Iris was standing right in front of him. Her eyes shone with complex emotions that he failed to grasp as she looked away. “Is this for your own sake or for hers?” She lowly asked but didn’t wait for his reply before dismissing him.

Cornelio hesitated for a moment before leaving. He felt her words were wrong, he felt uncomfortable. However, he concluded that had nothing to do with him, so he put the matter aside. Moments after he left, another person entered Iris’ room.

“He made his move, just like how you predicted.”

“Of course he did. He had been waiting for an opportunity like this one.” Iris said moving towards a hidden cabinet in the room. She slid a finger on the wall and a latch opened.

“About Cornelio...”

“It’s not like you to hesitate, George. Tell me what you are thinking.” Her words turned gentle while her hand grabbed a small orb with an indigo flame burning inside.

“Why Cornelio, Iris? Are you...” George trailed off, not comfortable with his own thoughts.

“Redemption, maybe.” She mumbled. “Perhaps I would have liked for him to forgive me.” She sadly smiled after she gave the orb to George. “Go. Fred must not be feeling well.”

George tightly grasped the orb. “You don’t own him, anything, Iris. It was because of him that you...”

“It doesn’t matter, George. It already happened. I forgave him but I never had the chance to truly know him. At the end, it was my fault.” Iris cut him off and spoke with finality, clearly not wanting to talk about the topic. George swallowed his arguments and turned around towards the door; he was still unhappy about the conversation. She was his Sky, after all, her distress was his distress. Whatever made her hurt, he would get rid of it. It was a shame he couldn’t do anything about that sole thorn in her heart.

“Cornelio… he won’t be too happy you sent his girlfriend towards the maw of the lion.” George said before leaving.

“It was either him or her. In the end, I was selfish.”

Her voice echoed in the room before it disappeared together with her.

 

…

  


Major Nella Falco, better known as Lal Mirch, stood on guard in front of the door of her apartment.

She had just been suspended and after leaving a note to Cornelio about where he could find her, she left the COMSUBIN Headquarters with her things and headed towards the small apartment in the suburbs of Portovenere near HQ. She regretted having argued with a superior but she was confused as to why she had had that argument. According to her own personality, she would have never, ever reacted that way knowing Cornelio had been hurt. She was aware how dangerous Portelli’s Unit was and the type of missions they did so she had vowed herself to always remain calm.

Yet at the first instance of Cornelio being hurt, she went batshit crazy and went to complain with Iris Portelli herself. Lal still remembered the mocking gaze with which Colonel Portelli looked at her, as if she was just a monkey making a show. It was embarrassing and disgraceful but it happened. There was no point in mulling about the situation. As she took out her keys and unlocked the door, she paused. There was someone inside her apartment, someone unknown. Cornelio didn’t know where she lived and she had no relatives anymore.

So, who was it?

Her hand slowly moved towards her gun and as quietly as possible, she release the safety. Taking a deep breath, she kicked the door open and entered pointing the gun around the place looking for the intruder. Seeing no one inside, she started to relax until a voice sounded behind her.

“Very impressive, Nella Falco.” She tensed and turned but saw nobody behind. It was only then that she noticed she was no longer in her apartment. Or she might as well be there but it was all pitch black and she couldn’t see. She could only hear her thumping heart and her short but low breath. “Not as impressive as the Sun I found but close enough.” The voice sounded again.

“Who are you?” She calmly asked, her Rain Flames trying to diffuse the darkness after she realized it was an illusion from a Mist.

“You may call me Checker Face and I came to talk.” The voice once again sounded behind her and she quickly turned around gripping her gun, ready to fire but she stopped herself at the last second. In front of her stood Cornelio. “Oh, not as decisive as Sinclair. The man didn’t doubt to shoot at his own Mother; even if it was an illusion.”

Lal Mirch forcefully calmed herself down and put down her gun to show she wouldn’t attack whoever was inside her apartment. “Alright, Checker Face, what do you want to talk about?”

“Just some business.” Checker Face said coming out from behind Cornelio’s figure before making the latter disappear with a wave of his hand. The man donned a suit and dark trench coat, a mask and iron hat with a checkered pattern on the right side of the last two. Lal Mirch cataloged him as an insidious character due to his suspicious dressing and way to do things as he entered another person’s place without permission. “Are you interested in doing some missions together with a group of experts?”

She narrowed her eyes. Was the man part of some hidden organization? “What kind of missions?”

“Not that different from the ones you did in the COMSUBIN before becoming an instructor.” He smiled. Lal tensed again hearing he knew what she had been doing in years. Had he been observing her for such a long time? “Indeed I have.” He said guessing her thoughts from her expression. “You were always my first option for years but then someone else came, someone who looked very promising and easily caught my attention.”

Lal Mirch stiffened. “Cornelio.” She breathed out.

“Correct. Lieutenant Cornelio LaGuardia. What a talented young man!” Checker Face exclaimed with a wistful tone. “But he was snatched away by someone else. Someone I find too troublesome.” He clicked his tongue.

“Iris Portelli.” Lal Mirch suddenly found herself in a conflict.

She didn’t know if the fact Colonel Portelli had Cornelio in her Unit was good or not anymore after understanding Checker Face wanted to recruit him. Nevertheless, she put aside those thoughts and instantly labeled the matter as fortunate. Cornelio had enough with that dangerous crew, she didn’t want him to get involved in something so murky like what this Checker Face person was suggesting. “Forget about Cornelio, what do you want me to do?” She would definitely protect him. It was the least she could do after the problems she created for him. 

Checker Face stared at the silly and naive woman in front of him. It was rare to find a Rain who wouldn’t force themselves to calm down to face a situation. That prevented the person to think too deeply of the why and just focused on the how. Rain Flames were a double edged sword as not only numbed opponents but the user too. The best Rain he had ever encountered in his life was that dour man, Iris Portelli’s confidante, Severus Snape. He was always suspicious of everything and his mind was so meticulous it was scary. It was because of Severus Snape that Checker Face couldn’t get Iris, or at least not how he wanted her. 

Too bad the man died protecting her.

After Severus Snape, Checker Face had become picky with choosing Rains and thought Nella Falco was like the man of gloom and doom. Sadly, she couldn’t even notice she had been schemed on on behalf of the person she was trying to protect. Nella Falco was doing a one-man show in front of nobody. However, Checker Face coudn’t touch Cornelio due to Iris, so he might as well make do with her. 

“Come to this place in five days.”

He threw a paper towards her and disappeared after that. Thinking about Iris always put him in a bad mood. 

  


 


	4. The Sky and her Guardians

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cornelio goes training with his Sky and her Guardians.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe, sorry about my disappearance. Lots of drama in my family and I was not in the mood to write anything. 
> 
> Anyway, I don't want to vent all my miserable life here, so I will just do my best to catch up with the writing as soon as possible and don't make you wait for too long. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for reading. And thanks for waiting!

* * *

 

Cornelio thought he would be treated differently after the incident with Lal, yet the crew was the same towards him. They had even sailed to do some training on a deserted island together. 

“As you may have noticed, Cornelio,” Iris began with a tone suggesting she was going to give a lecture. “I am a Sky and these guys are my Guardians. Fred and George are my Mists, Luna is my Cloud, Draco is my Sun, Astoria is my Lightning and Seamus is my Storm. Each specialized in different fields, like, traps, main fighter, doctor, navigator and weapons specialist. It is not a coincidence I looked for you since we are missing a Rain and I found your specialty in long-range combat useful for our team which focuses in close combat. For that reason, you are going to train with us so we can include you in our tactics.”

“You didn’t have a Rain before?” Cornelio wasn’t that ignorant in the matter of Flames. 

His family was comprised of a couple of them Flame users, and he even knew about how Flames worked and interacted with other Flames. He was also aware of that Mafia World which was full of Flame users but he didn’t want to be part of. Aside from that, he had been thrilled about the fact he would get a Sky, someone with whom he would feel like home. He just never thought he would Harmonize with his own captain. The bond was fragile at best and perhaps the training would help to nurture it and he was looking forward to it. 

His own Sky and a group of Guardians.

At first, he had thought the group in front of him was strange. For a Sky to have its full set of Guardians was unheard of outside the Mafia World, so he had assumed that they used to belong to the Mafia World. However, he discarded that thought as they weren’t an unruly bunch who disregarded rules; they were a bit crazy, yes, but they never disobeyed orders. They took missions, they completed them in their own way and they reported back to Headquarters to acquire a new one or rest. They had even requested for permission to sail for this training.

So, no, they were soldiers through and through with experience earned over time; their ranks said it all. Those couldn’t be faked. He surmised it was Colonel Portelli who had started to gather her Guardians all by herself when she noticed the army had lots of Flame users. Curiously, her crew had no Italian members and Draco looked French at best. It was a weird sight in Italian soil, but never once he doubted them. To deceive the Military was a grave crime punished with prison and the higher ups wouldn’t be too stupid to be deceived, right?

After arriving to his own conclusions, Cornelio started to pay more attention to the small crew and noticed some discrepances. 

The main one was in Iris Portelli. Whenever she talked, she always made a pause in the middle or after she was done as if waiting for something. The others weren’t so obvious but they still betrayed some little actions; like Astoria who always stands slanted to the left whenever she commandeers the boat as if there was someone there, or the twins somehow putting one more prank in whatever room everybody was in. At first, Cornelio thought they were just quirks but then he daringly concluded that they were missing someone.

Someone who had spent a lot of time with them and they were used to, trusted greatly and constantly thought of. The only thing Cornelio could come up with was that it must have been their Rain. How else would they look for another one if they weren’t used to having one by their side?

His question was answered by one of the twins. “We had our slippery Snape.” 

“Our cunning Snape.” The other continued.

“Our brave Snape!” The two said in unison to then slyly look at Iris. “Our madly in love Snape.” They purred making her turn beet red.

“ _We gave real forms to a ghost, fabrications of a ridiculous mind; and with the graven image done, we sacrificed in its altar our love.”_ Luna suddenly composed, adding oil to the fire. Whistling and catcalling sounded right after that from the twins and Seamus, while Draco and Astoria tried to hide their own smiles.

“Stop it!” Iris yelled totally mortified by their teasing. “Cough. As I was saying... training, Draco will tell you the details.” She said to then run away with a red face not standing the teasing smiles from her friends. 

“Ah, our little Iris is still too honest and thin skinned.” Fred sighed, looking at the running figure. 

Cornelio was never the gossipy type but he couldn’t help but feel curious about this Snape person. He didn’t dare to jump to conclusions but the way Iris acted, it seemed there was something going on between her and Snape... maybe? Either way, the person wasn’t there and Cornelio could only guess that their previous Rain had died in action. It was not a far-fetched guess taking into account the type of missions they always got into. However, he still asked to not say something he was not supposed to in the future. 

“This Snape...” Cornelio trailed off when he suddenly noticed that the atmosphere turned weird. Neither of their expressions changed but they was still something different in them. 

“ _Appeared in her eyes a tear, and to his lips words of forgiveness; her pride spoke and cleaned her tears and his words expired. But thinking in their mutual love, he still says: ‘Why I kept quiet that day?’, and she will say: ‘Why did I not cry?’.”_ Luna answered in a few sentences resuming a bit of what happened between Iris and Snape. 

“Alright, enough talk about our captain, we should begin our training.” Draco said. “We first need to know the extent of your abilities, Cornelio, so you will go first.” 

  


_..._

  


The sun harshly beat on him, yet he didn’t move an inch. Mosquitoes and other bugs flew around or crawled over him, yet he still didn’t move. He wasn’t sure how long he had spent in that position but he knew that if he moved, those two guys would catch him. Hell, he even let a snake slither near his face but he was able to remain stoic before the creepy animal. All that was on purpose, he knew. The twins were Mists so they could create all sort of stuff by only thinking about it. And he realized it was his misfortune when the two volunteered to test his abilities. 

His eyes flashed and his body moved as if it hadn’t remained still for a long time. The place where he used to be suddenly exploded, a column of dirt and debris rose. A chill ran down his spine seeing the deep pit on the ground, and he didn’t doubt in running for dear life. For long minutes, all he could hear were the pants coming out from his mouth from running, the explosions from behind and the laughter of those two devils. The laughter was everywhere and Cornelio finally discovered he had fallen in their trap. He hadn’t even noticed when they had captured him in their Illusion. 

“Run, Cornelio, run!” They taunted.

However, he didn’t lose his calm. As he ran, he observed his surroundings while sneakily sending out pulses of Rain Flames trying to break the Illusion. Finally, he was able to sense an opening, a weak part of the Illusion and he raised his rifle shooting out a Maximum Burst. He followed behind the shot at his fastest speed and successfully broke through the Illusion. Yet, before he could cheer, hide and think of a way to take down the twins, a pair of legs swept his making him fall hard on the ground and even roll a few times. 

“Bad, bad Cornelio.” Fred tutted. 

“He did well, though.” George commented, his hand on his chin.

“Well enough to fall on our trap.” Fred ferally smiled.

George mirrored the gestured. “Absolutely.”

Cornelio, on the ground, couldn’t help but groan. He should have thought that opening was a trap. The twins weren’t the Trap Masters for nothing. What made him almost want to cry was the fact that he actually didn’t even last half an hour against them. Heck, he was totally destroyed. 

“He destroyed your Illusion in one shot.” Draco suddenly appear voicing out his comment.

The twins resentfully turned to look at the blonde man who totally ignored them. “I guess you are right.” The two said in unison while sighing. 

“Although we couldn’t see his full repertoire of skills, I think everybody here can adjust to his style.” Draco continued. Whenever Iris washed her hands off the training, he was reluctantly put in charge of it. “Ok, we can form teams now.” 

Luna and Astoria quickly grabbed Seamus’ arms each, making the man laugh. Astoria didn’t even wait on hearing the twins protests and she also grabbed Draco’s arm successfully forming the team of four against the other four who were left with no choice. The twins started a word fight with the girls for being shameless while Draco and Seamus watched the show from the sides with a helpless and amused expression, respectively. Cornelio for his part didn’t understand what just happened. 

“If you want a chance to win in the team training, your best bet is to team up with Seamus.” A voice suddenly said behind him, starting him. He found Iris Portelli silently watching the argument between the twins and the girls. 

“Why’s that?” Cornelio asked. He was aware Storms were strong in their own right but he believed Skies were even stronger. And he was in a team with the Sky. 

Iris furrowed her brows. “Healer plus Booster Sun, Assassin Cloud, Detector Lightning and Destroyer Storm. The composition is troublesome. Fred, George, let’s go, we have planning to do.” She ordered as she turned herself and walked away. The twins huffed and followed their Captain while Cornelio shrugged and followed the three. The others knew the rules, they had half an hour to plan up their strategy to take down the other team completly.

“Do we have a chance, Captain?” The twins asked in unison huddled behind tall bushes. 

“We do.” Iris’ eyes flashed. “I’ll be counting on you, George.” She smiled and then proceeded to tell her plan to the other members. 

Half an hour later the small island turned silent. Not even the buzzing of bugs that could be heard before sounded. They might as well have run away from the impending battle soon to take place in it. That was the main reason why the Portelli Unit always did its training on a deserted island, because the training was too brutal and a hazard for onlookers. Nobody in the COMSUBIN had witnessed the Unit training and they would probably never know. 

Behind a big boulder, three people were watching a woman with anticipation. However the woman’s face was scrunched up belying the hard task on her hands. Finally, she shook her head. “We have already been trapped in their Illusion, they have also made it difficult for me to locate them. So far I have identified twelve different pulses in the whole island.” Astoria relied the information she had gathered through her Flames.

Actually, they knew fighting the twins was also a pain in the ass. Those sly foxes would die if they didn’t make their lives hard during training. With Seamus on their side they held a bit of hope and if they had anticipated correctly, the only one who could match him was Iris so they would send her to fight him as soon as possible to earn time for the twins and Cornelio take out their team. They had made their own plans, too. Seeing as the duel between Seamus and Iris was inevitable, they didn’t have any intention in avoiding it. That would give Luna, Draco and Astoria the time to locate the twins and Cornelio to beat them. 

They split up accordingly and it wasn’t long before the three heard the first explosion obviously signaling that Iris and Seamus had started their battle. The island shook with the force of their Flames colliding with each other as if it would soon collapse and sink in the vast ocean, but each and every one of them knew their tasks and didn’t stop. 

Cornelio felt his heart tighten in fear. He never expected a Storm to be this terrifying and he admitted that if it had been him facing Seamus, he would have died mere seconds after fighting him. Why couldn’t anybody tell him that Storms were able to actually Disintegrate space?! Fuck, he could see the dark spots were time and space had totally disintegrated leaving nothing in it until Sky Flames washed over that spot and repaired it. It was a battle of monsters; one destroying, the other repairing, yet none able to overpower the other. It was no wonder Iris said she could be the only one able to face Seamus. 

He no longer doubted her. 

He tightly gripped his rifle and his eyes narrowed. Due to the constant release of Sky Flames, he could happily bask in the remnants flying in the air, brushing his body and silently sipping into it. The bond between Rain and Sky was streghtening itself and that helped him calm his racing heart. Although the other team had Astoria as their Detector, he also had his own tricks and had planted little sparks of Flame around the island to locate them himself. The disruption in the Tranquility would be able to tell him and the twins of their position; after all, he was in their territory and whatever happened in it, they would know. 

“We’ve been discovered.” Astoria suddenly announced. The other two didn’t need to be told when they started their own dodging maneuvers. Sure enough, not a second after they moved, a barrage of shots fell on them telling them it was Cornelio’s doing. Only he had the accuracy and range to perform such assault. “He’s a distraction, the twins must be around.” She reminded. 

“Do it.” Draco said. 

Astoria nodded and taking out her spear, she dauntlessly stood in the open and smashed it on the ground making a web of Lightning Flames expand. Cornelio could see how that web actually pierced and sliced through his own shots. He thought he had her when three impacts fell on her body, yet it seemed it was a mutual destruction as he felt his whole body tense up and turn immobile for a second. A second was not a long time, but it was enough for him to feel a chill on his neck obviously knowing he had that phantom of Luna pointing her dagger behind him. 

_Clang!_

“Let’s dance, Luna, dear.” George said with a smirk intercepting her dagger with his own short sword. 

“ _...and in this world they found each other, and with delight they embrace...”_ Luna replied.

“Couldn’t have said it better.” The red-haired man handsomely winked and another gruesome fight started between the two with the sparks and clinks of their blades crashing against the other.

Cornelio didn’t waste time and started his own assault on Astoria and Draco, who were running to support Luna. However, the synergy between those two was more than perfect and they were able to help each other to dodge and counter the attacks until they reached where Luna and George were fighting. Soon an all-out melee started between the fight. As Cornelio said, his forte was in sniping so his hand-to-hand combat was above average at best. However, he didn’t lose out against the other two who were mostly support characters and were on par with his ability. That created a stalemate that lasted for a long time. 

“Something’s not right.” Draco mumbled after he dodge the muzzle of a rifle heading towards his temple. “Fred! Where’s Fred?!” He suddenly yelled. They had been overwhelmed by Cornelio’s offensive that they had forgotten about the other twin. He looked around but was unable to locate him. The two girls also noticed about the missing person and were instantly on guard against any trap or sudden attack. 

The attack came, yet not in the way they expected. Soon, everywhere in the island was blanketed by the powerful, warm and attractive Harmony of Sky Flames making everything stop. 

“So cruel, Captain.” Seamus said aggrieved. In the middle of the battle he had felt there was something wrong with Iris but he was too late to discover the reason; at some point, Fred and Iris had changed places giving her the time to gather up her Flames and make them explode in a warm wave. His eyes glazed and he smilingly fell to the ground as if in ecstasy. 

The others weren’t faring any better. 

Luna had willingly succumbed to the warmth of her Sky and even composed a few words before falling:  _“The shining light is the happiness; then it sparks and grows and it dilated in an explosion of clarity.”_ Meanwhile, Astoria threw decorum to hell and pounced onto Draco to begin a short assault on him before the two fell in each other’s arms. Though, not everybody happily smiled while under the spell of their Sky. George gloomily looked up as tears fell down his cheeks until he too lost consciousness. Each and every one of them found their own reasons to bask in the Harmony of their Sky. 

As Cornelio’s first time feeling the brunt of Iris’ Sky Flames, his reaction to them was a bit extreme compared to the others who had already Harmonized and gotten used to them. It could be said that Iris’ Flames helped her Guardians reach a point in which they felt the most at peace, the most happiest, the most resolute, the most determined, the most daring; so, a tiny little demon he had been hiding deep, deep inside him surged like a wave and before he could notice, his body had already moved on its own. 

Next thing his mind could barely process was the fact he held the petite yet soft body of Iris Portelli in his arms while his mouth was devouring hers. He loved his girlfriend dearly, he really did; yet, he was a man and he couldn’t help notice Iris Portelli was one fine woman. The three women in the crew were, but Astoria was already together with Draco and Luna actually gave him the creeps. Only Iris looked normal enough to attract him becoming his hidden guilty pleasure. And the woman he had secretly coveted, his own Sky, had given him the courage to act on his impulses. 

The last thing he thought before he was knocked unconscious by an embarrassed Iris was: I DON’T REGRET IT, KORA!!


	5. Dried fish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two weeks in Portelli's Unit, Cornelio discovered he is the only dried fish in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since these chapters are shorter, I have an easier time writing them compared to La Mia Stella. That one will be updated later tonight or tomorrow, if possible. 
> 
> Anyway, I am still doing my best to catch up now that I have the inspiration. So I am very hopeful for this week :D
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter and thanks for reading!

* * *

 

Cornelio didn’t know whether to laugh or cry; though, he was leaning more on the cry side. Not regretting his actions didn’t mean he couldn’t reflect on them and he had arrived to one conclusion: he was truly done for. He had kissed his own Captain, his superior, while he was dating his Lal; he had cheated on Lal with his Captain. Ah, yeah, he better start crying since he didn’t know what would be of him after he faced Iris Portelli.

“Wake up, Cornelio.” One of the twins nudged him with his foot. Cornelio couldn’t continue feigning to be dead and reluctantly opened his eyes. He was still lying on the ground after he was knocked out by Iris and the others were already up and about seemingly waiting for him. 

“We won?” He asked pretending he didn’t know what had happened.

“We did!” The twin, Fred, said with a wide smile. “It would have been better to win as a team but with Seamus in the other team, there was no other choice.” He wistfully said. 

Cornelio nodded. He never thought Iris would be this harsh even with her own teammates, yet that was what they had planned, and neither the twins nor him opposed to it. His eyes looked for the small figure of Iris and found her seriously talking with Draco. It seemed they had been talking about him as the two turned to look at him. Draco’s eyes were looking at him with a considering light while Iris merely looked at him for a second before diverting her gaze, clearly still embarrassed. However, the two went back to their talk and didn’t pay more attention to him. Cornelio sighed.

“You interested in our Captain, Cornelio?” Fred whispered noticing the exchange between the Rain and the Sky.

“What?! No!” The Rain yelled gaining the attention of everybody, and making him awkwardly chuckle.

“No need to get this scandalized, pal.” Fred said throwing his arm over Cornelio’s shoulders. “To tell you the truth, all men, except Draco, got interested in her at some point.” He smiled mischievously. “Don’t let her small body deceive you; she can leave you spent and begging to let you off in no time.”

Cornelio didn’t want to know. “I have a girlfriend.” He helplessly said.

“Ah, yeah, the girlfriend...” Fred trailed off. “Well, bad luck then. Though I don’t think she would mind if she doesn’t know; after all, this training will last for a month.”

“What?!” Cornelio yelled again. He had expected to spend some time with his girlfriend while Lal was suspended yet it seemed that wouldn’t be possible anymore if he was going to be one month on that island during her suspension time.

“Uh, yes, didn’t we tell you?” No matter how innocent Fred tried to look, his eyes were shining with amusement. Cornelio only wanted to die.

  


…

  


In a remote street, stood a store that saw no clients, not even curious passerbys. However, that day, seven different people entered one after the other until they all gathered in it. Nobody talked even though they knew what they were there for. It was very obvious noticing the deserted streets outside. If they hadn’t seen a couple of people quickly walking here and there, they would have thought it was a ghost neighborhood; but overall, it looked deserted. They did look and analyzed each other, though.

Each and every one of them looked unique in their own way. Between the most extreme ones should be the woman dressed in a white robe and a weird mushroom like hat, then there was the person covered in dark cloak from head to toe, only the lower part of their face showing, and the youngster all in purple, even the hair and make up plus his tasteless piercings. The somewhat normal ones were the one with a pressed suit, the one with a lab coat, that other man looking like a martial artist and the woman with a stern face and a casual military attire.

“Welcome, my chosen ones.” A voice suddenly sounded alerting the seven in the store. There was no clerk inside so they thought that, as the rest of the neighborhood, it was deserted. It seemed it wasn’t. “Your first mission is inside this envelope. Good luck!” An envelope fell from the ceiling and onto the floor after the voice disappeared. Nobody moved.

“Cough. Maybe… maybe we should present ourselves...” The soft voice of the woman in white sounded. “My name is Luce. I’m from the Giglio Nero Famiglia. I’m a Sky.” She said.

“Fon. I’m a Storm.” The man who looked like a Martial Artist continued with a small smile on his face.

“I’m Professor Verde and I’m a Lightning.” The man in the lab coat said.

“I’m the great Skull! I’m a stuntman and a Cloud!” The purple youngster boisterously presented himself.

“Muu, such an idiot. Viper. Mist.” The cloaked person sniffed towards Skull.

“Nella Falco. I’m a Rain.” The woman with the military attire ignored the idiotic Skull and presented herself. She kind of regretted coming and thought that maybe Cornelio would have been better among this group of misfits.

The man in the suit moved towards the envelope on the floor and calmly opened it to then read the contents inside. “I’m a Sun, no need to know my name.” He said after he was done reading. He threw the paper inside on the floor and walked out of the store.

“Muu, another idiot.” Viper scowled and picked up the paper, to then pass it to the others.

Each and every one of them acted on their own as soon as they received their mission. Major Falco’s face twitched seeing such an unruly bunch. She sighed and inwardly hoped Cornelio was doing better in the training with his Unit. She had heard the whole Unit had gone to do their own training before going to that store. Meanwhile, Luce only smiled with helplessness. As the Sky, she was supposed to bring everybody together, yet she had failed from the very beginning. She vowed herself to do better next time.

  


…

  


It had been two weeks since Portelli’s Unit started their training. In those two weeks, Cornelio finally was able to know what it meant to be in that Unit.

He had actually forgotten about the rules in the crew and the ship until he experienced them firsthand. It all began with movies day on Friday. The training room was converted into a mini cinema with no popcorn or beverages yet the projector was still there; it was a very antique thing that didn’t fit with the rather modern style inside the ship which was maintained by the Weapons Expert, Seamus.

However, the projector and movies day in the Portelli Unit were not normal at all, and that was because of the twins. It wasn’t something as simple as watching the movie but living the movie thanks to their Illusions. And what better way to live a movie than for it to be a horror movie? A horror movie about dead people who could still walk and attacked everything that had life. At first it was all nice as they were part of the military but having to see those creepy walking dead, he flipped out.

Needless to say, he didn’t want to watch another horror movie in his life.

If that wasn’t enough, there really was a reason why nobody used the bathroom on Saturdays. He had actually forgotten about it as he entered the big tube in the bathroom in the early hours of the morning on Saturday. He was covered in dubious liquids from those zombies and decided to take a good bath. He even considered himself lucky when no other crew member approached the bathroom, so he would have it for his own use; in hindsight, he should have known the weird faces on the others’ faces was enough for him to notice something was wrong. Yet, he only noticed until he was laying inside the big tube in it, enjoying the warm water.

Suddenly from in between his legs a perverted, voyeur of a ghost appeared while giggling and not so subtly looking at his bits. He immediately ran out of the place screaming and without being able to cover himself. Unluckily, he bumped into the person he still had no idea how to interact with after that kiss, Iris Portelli and the two messily fell.

“Well, well, Cornelio. It seems you couldn’t hold yourself back.” The twins said while snickering seeing the scene of him pressing onto their Captain on the floor after they and the others came out of their rooms hearing him scream.

“ _Whispers from the soul that rise and grow, like a volcano they announce its inevitable burning.”_ Luna’s fairy-like voice said with mirth in her eyes.

“Just look for a room and don’t forget to use protection.” Draco tonelessly said as if he had seen too much and didn’t care anymore.

Both the Rain and the Sky were left alone in the hallway as soon as the other crew members disappeared after seeing the show. The others knew why Cornelio was naked and why he came out running from the bathroom. Since immemorial times, the ghost of a female teenager appeared in the bathroom on Saturdays. They wouldn’t have cared to have a voyeur ghost if the ghost was actually a bit attractive; however, she was not and was annoying at best. They had no way to make her leave so they simply stopped using the bathroom on Saturdays.

“Are you not getting off?” Cornelio’s dazed expression returned to normal hearing the unhappy voice of Iris.

“Ah, yes, Colonel!” He jumped to his feet and stood ramrod straight not daring to look at her.

“At ease, Lieutenant.” Iris said with mirth in her voice. She chuckled and then headed to her room as if nothing.

Cornelio was confused by her reaction until he finally noticed it was not only him that stood in attention; little Cornelio was also happily making himself known to all and sundry. He groaned mortified and quickly walked to the room he shared with Draco. The blonde man was fortunately not there and Cornelio did a quick job with his problem. Really, it couldn’t be helped though, as he had actually fallen on the soft chest of Iris Portelli. As a very pure virgin with nonexistent sexual experience, the texture plus the alluring smell coming from her made his body react.

It had to be said he was the most unfortunate boyfriend in the whole COMSUBIN. Being in the military meant you could die at any moment, so all the guys with girlfriends had already experienced the pleasure of the flesh. Everybody except him. He almost cried due to sadness as he spilled on his hand remembering that fact.

Fortunately, life in Portelli’s Unit didn’t let you dwell too much on your misery as you always had something to do. Like washing your clothes, cooking your own food and battling weird chemical monsters that came out from Seamus’ room. The guy had cleverly installed a trampoline in his room that threw all his failures on the deck for Fred and George to dispose of. Though, there was that one time when the thing had to be burned by Iris because it seemed indestructible. So far, only Seamus knew what they were made of and nobody actually cared as long as you could get rid of it.

They had once tried to keep one as pet yet, according to what he was told, it didn’t go well and they had to do the paperwork to apply for another ship.

The only reason Seamus himself didn’t get rid of his own creations with his Flames was because, “Man, I am not so heartless to kill them myself.” Cornelio looked at the guy in disbelief yet had no other choice but to participate in the killing of the monster, too. He should have guessed that there was actually no way to relax in Portelli’s Unit.

However, their relaxing day came two weeks after they started their training. Due to the destruction of the island in which they had been training, they had decided to return to Headquarters to report and rest for a day before going out in another mission.

The moment he touched ground, he instantly ran towards Lal’s place for a visit. He had had enough of hearing Draco and Astoria in the room in front while the twins had fun with Luna in the room beside his. Heck, he even listened when George visited Seamus and let’s not talk about Fred braving Iris. The poor guy crawled back to his room the following morning; although, he looked mighty happy. All in all, he was the only dried fish in the ship with a girlfriend in a different Unit. But well, the only real couple in the ship was Draco and Astoria; the others just looked for a bit of fun in the boring open sea.

And he couldn’t stand it anymore. So, he wanted to try his luck with his girlfriend.

But nothing could prepare him for the scene of a man in red coming out from Lal’s apartment together with her. The man had a small smile on his face while Lal had her signature frown, yet the two seemed to get along pretty well. Cornelio was a Rain through and through, so despite the quite shocking scene playing in front of him, he remained calmed and do the only thing he could do at the moment.

“Let’s follow them, kora!”


	6. Lieutenant colonel Seamus Finnigan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It all began with gathering the seven best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally some hints as to the direction of this fic! I have actually thought everything out and it is the second fic in this series which I know what is actually going on without improvising in the middle :D
> 
> This chapter is long but don't expect others to be long too. It will depend how they are written but it will continue the trend of short chapters. Either way, this fic will not be long. Not even 20 chapters, so I am positive it will end soon. I will make it end soon to move on to another fic in the Rainbow series.
> 
> Hope you like the chapter and thanks for reading!
> 
> PS. The Anglo-Egyptian War, Mahdist War and the Manipur War did happen in history. I just messed it up a bit. @.@ I have never studied history just how I did to write this chapter xD I am proud of myself... I also messed up guns stuff but I am not expert, so...

* * *

 

“What are ye doing, Cornelio?”

“Sshh! Sshh!” Cornelio quickly pulled Seamus behind the bush he was hiding in and turned to look at the place he had been staring at. Luckily, the people he had been spying didn’t hear the sudden noise.

They were in a rather secluded neighborhood with almost nobody around, the place was silent and any out of place noise would, most likely, alert the two. And that is what Cornelio didn’t want. He didn’t want Lal to know he had been following her. So far, there hadn’t been any reason for him to suspect his girlfriend of cheating on him with that man. Though, if she actually did, then perhaps he wouldn’t feel as guilty as he felt knowing he had had some short episodes with Iris.

“Isn’t that yer girlfriend?” Seamus asked after noticing who they were spying.

“Yeah, she is.” Cornelio whispered and quickly followed the two people after seeing them move.

Hidden behind a low wall, Cornelio saw Lal and the red-dressed man enter an almost dilapidated store and he had no other choice but to wait. Meanwhile, Seamus had lost interest on the people they were following but still decided to accompany Cornelio in his pursuit. He took out a few electronic pieces he had just bought and started disassembling his gun to incorporate the new pieces in it. “Is yer girlfriend cheatin’ on ya?” Seamus eventually asked.

“She’s not.” Cornelio curtly replied.

“Hm.” Seamus hummed not really convinced. “Perhaps I shouldn’t be the best person to say this but, yer girlfriend is playing with fire right now.”

“What do you mean?” The Rain asked with a frown. He had the feeling Seamus was talking about something different. Or as if he was hinting at something else besides the fact Lal was going around the place with another man.

Seamus didn’t immediately reply and just went back to assembling his gun after he was satisfied with the new pieces he had added. The gun, if seen from a glance, looked like a normal S&W Model 629; yet, from up close, you could easily notice it was modified. What the modified gun could do, Cornelio didn’t actually know as he hadn’t actually seen Seamus using a gun. As Iris had said, the Unit was specialized in close combat and Seamus either fought together with the Unit or fired the weapons installed in the ship. It had to be said that Seamus was the perfect soldier with his amazing combat skills and marksmanship.

“You will know about that sooner or later.” Seamus finally replied with a bit of gravity in his voice.

Cornelio wanted to ask about the matter, yet before he could do so, Seamus suddenly stood up and pointed his gun to his right. There was a gun pointing right at Seamus’ chest while his was pointing towards the head of the newcomer.

“Not bad.” Seamus smirked putting his gun away. “Let’s go, Cornelio. Our captain is waiting for us. I am sure she has chosen a hellish mission just to try out our new training.” He carelessly grabbed the bags he had been carrying and walked away from the place not waiting for the Rain’s response.

Cornelio turned to look at the store inside which he could see Lal was stiffly looking at him. He just waved at her and ran after Seamus. The man who had been pointing the gun at Seamus put it down and looked at the retreating figure of the man with the modified gun. Because, as a Hitman himself, he was aware the 629 was modified.

“That was close. He seemed to be as good as you.” Luce, who had been walking beside the Sun in their group, exclaimed relieved.

“No, he held back.” The Sun said walking towards the store. In the middle of his steps, the fedora on his head started disintegrating, making Luce gasp. The Hitman knew he was lucky back then. If he had gone with the intention to kill, the one dead would have probably been himself. Such fearsome abilities, who was that man? His eyes stopped on Lal Mirch, the person who seemed to know the blondie back there.

Back in the Y499, Seamus and Cornelio were the firsts to have returned to the ship. The Storm went back to his room as Cornelio stupidly stood in the deck not knowing what to do. His plan had been to visit Lal and coax her to spend some sweet time with him. However, his plan had gone down the drain thanks to that unexpected scene of her meeting with a strange group of people. While spying on her, he had seen a cloaked person and a youngster in purple entering that same store. He really wanted to get into that store too but the face-off between Seamus and that well-dressed guy distracted him.

At the end, he couldn’t even ask Lal what she was doing.

Sighing, he decided to do some training alone before giving his rifle a cleaning. Perhaps he should ask Seamus to modify it. The thing was barely able to stand the strength of his Flames every time he used it. Reaching his room, the door from Seamus’ room opened and his voice came from inside. “Bring your weapon, Cornelio. I will modify it.” The guy could read minds, kora!? The Rain thought. He had just been planning on asking Seamus for the modification and he himself offered the services.

It was Cornelio’s first time in Seamus’ room, and he had to admit the place was… cluttered. It was in order, yes, but there were so many things around that it looked as if it was a mess.

His eyes stopped on the bed for a second and then diverted them reminded of that time between George and Seamus. He was no one to judge, though it was a bit uncomfortable hearing two guys grunting in the middle of the night. Anyway, forgetting about that, the room also had tables with all sort of tools and pieces on them. Seamus himself was sitting at one of the tables with the disassembled rifle in front of him.

Cornelio was taught about the parts of the rifle, how disassemble and assemble, and how to give maintenance. However, he had never dared to change parts of the rifle himself, much less modify it. He was afraid he would broke the thing down instead of improving it like Seamus was doing. Watching the tall and buffed guy working on small parts sent Cornelio into a daze, his mind thinking about the Storm’s words from before. “Hey, Seamus. Do you know what those guys and Lal are doing?”

Seamus paused in trying to fit a very small piece into the Receiver and glanced at Cornelio who was expecting an answer. “That is a long story, Cornelio...” He trailed off. The piece didn’t fit at all and he tried another one. “It actually starts with that you saw back there: gathering the seven best...”

  


…

  


Seamus Finnigan was a normal youngster with no special abilities. All his life, he wanted to be someone great, someone renowned and he saw his opportunity when he heard the Honourable Artillery Company was recruiting people. Back then, he was young -not even twenty- and barely able to fit the recruitment requirements. Actually, from among the hundred youths that also enlisted, he was below average in everything and only passed the tests with luck. However, as one of his trainers said, luck was also a type of strength. And sometimes it was luck that helped soldiers come out alive from battle.

Seamus spent a couple of years learning how to use the heavy guns in the training field. Some recruits casually learned to use the long bow or the crossbow. Seamus belonged to the group who were interested in the crossbow as he considered it more useful in a fight than the long bow. Though the guns were still the best option. With time, the group of ‘newbies’ finally saw some action when the troops were mobilized to engage in war in Egypt.

Due to his below average results throughout his military career, Seamus was assigned to the 11 Company, the Army Commissariat and Transport Corps so he wouldn’t hinder those who could actually fight against the enemy. However, many of those people who had performed excellently were sons of important families; although they had the abilities, they were very cowardly when they were faced with imminent war and the possibility to die. That was why some of them changed places with those in Logistics Corps. A few were successful while others were not.

Seamus was forced by a guy with enough power to threaten him with killing his family if he didn’t change places. That was how Seamus found himself in the Grenadier Guards, the infantry regiment that was most likely going to be sent to the front. Seamus didn’t even have time to say goodbye to his family before he was sailing towards Alexandria.

Even from afar, he could see the columns of black smoke rising in the sky, and he swore he could also hear the screams of agony of the battles that had already taken place in Alexandria. He tightly grabbed the gun he was provided and vowed himself that he would live. He had to live. The ship he was traveling in bypassed Alexandria by orders of the Commander, Lieutenant General Sir Garnet Wolseley, to head to the Suez Canal to secure the canal and allow the troops to reach Cairo through it. Among the troops deployed for the attack were the Grenadier Guards.

Seamus was sweating and trembling a bit, knowing he would go to fight soon. Yet, it seemed luck was on his side as securing the canal only needed the intervention of the fleet in front of them and the troops in those ships. Before the Grenadier Guards could even be deployed, the canal was already in the British Army’s hands. By night, they had disembarked and pitched camp near the canal to begin the journey to Cairo first thing in the morning the following day.

The first enemy the British Army faced were not the rebels itself but the weather. The sun hardly hit on their heads and their helmets didn’t help in protecting them from the sun. The smart ones wet a rag with water and put it on their heads to avoid suffering from a heatstroke.

The 1st Brigade jogged the whole morning until they stopped to rest when the sun was at its peak and continued their journey when the sun was more bearable and stopped again at night to pitch camp. According to their maps, they were going to reach El-Kassassin by noon the following day if they kept the same pace.

What they didn’t know was that the journey, for many, would end that same night.

Boom! Boom!

“Argh!” The cracking of explosions rumbled around the camp together with the screams of those caught in the impact and dying instantly.

“Enemy attack! Enem-ugh!”

A shower of bullets rained on the camp easily making it fall into disarray.

“Behind the dunes! Focus fire behind the dunes!” The Brigade Commander, The Duke of Connaught, ordered, giving the Battalions a target.

As an infantry Brigade, although they were experts, their firepower was a bit lacking as they were mainly sent to the front as scouts. They just never thought the Egyptians would attack them at night not even half into their mission; it was a mistake in their judgment.

Boom! Boom!

Zing! Zing!

Bombs, bullets and even arrows flew from one camp to the other with the British Brigade suffering more loses due to being in plain sight while the enemy had the advantage of the terrain.

“Move forward!” The Duke once again commanded with a grim face from the sand and the blood that had spattered on him from his blown up comrades.

Seamus ears were ringing. He could only hear the sound of his panting breathing while other sounds were distant to him. He had been among the group of soldiers who received the first attack and was blown away from the force of the explosions, thus successfully coming out alive from the bullet shower. His clothes, though, were soaked in blood and innards from his companions.

Once he regained his bearings, he didn’t think twice before returning fire to any enemy he could lay his eyes on. His only thought was: I have to live.

Another explosion left him deaf on his right ear which was bleeding, and he followed his comrades when they threw themselves to the opposite camp. A bullet pierced his arm, yet he didn’t feel it due to the adrenaline running through his body.

Instead, he aimed and fired, aimed and fired at point blank and even at those far away. He had also thrown a few punches in a gruesome fight for survival only to end up being blown away by another bomb. He felt his face burning and how his blood flowed from his injuries.

“Keep firing! Keep firing!” The Duke’s voice could still be heard in the middle of the massacre.

“Argh!”

“Help! Help me!”

“Send reinforcements! I repeat send- ARGH!”

Laying on the sand, Seamus could see how his comrades fell one by one as if they were nothing but flies. There were even some who had lost their limbs soaking the sand in blood, or their heads had exploded from the impact of a bullet. It was hell. The smell of blood and gunpowder permeated the air. _I have to live,_ he thought over and over again.

With the meager strength he had left, he turned around and laid flat on his stomach and his gun started firing again.

Reload, aim, fire.

Reload, aim, fire.

With every bullet leaving the barrel, he felt how his life left his body. But he never stopped.

_I have to live._

Bang!

_I have to live._

Bang!

_Let me live._

Bang! Zoom! Pow!

His last bullet pierced five Egyptian rebels right in the head and made a sixth one explode. Seamus, however, wasn’t able to see his own feat as his sight blurred from blood loss and he weakly laid on the sand. He could still hear the battle going around, the same screams of help, the same hell. He didn’t know how long it had been until the reinforcements they had called for finally arrived. The 1st Brigade saw hope when the 7th Dragoon Guards and the Highland Brigade came. Not long after, the British Army reverted the battle and forced the Egyptian rebels to retreat.

When Seamus opened his eyes, he was laying on an improvised bed with bandages covering his face and his whole body. He felt a bit numb but overall there wasn’t any pain he kind of expected, which actually surprised him.

“You were lucky.” A blonde man dressed in white told him as he checked on his wounds. “Besides the shot in the arm, you are only burned.”

“Am I alive?” Seamus croaked. A bag with water was put in his mouth.

“Yes, you are. But perhaps not for longer.” The man said with a hint of pity.

Not even a second later, an officer arrived at the cluster of beds and said in a loud voice. “By orders of the Commander, those who can still hold a weapon are to report to me in one hour. If you pretend being severely wounded to avoid fighting, you are going to be branded as a traitor and killed on spot. Doctors, bring me a list of the people who can actually still fight.” After saying his piece, the officer left.

“Do they actually think people are pigs that can be sent to the slaughterhouse whenever they want to?” The blonde man grumbled while madly scribbling on a paper, obviously making the list the officer demanded for.

Seamus ignored the grumbling and sat up on his bed to stretch a bit. His skin felt toasty and sore but he could perfectly move. The wound on his arm was not severe and only itched. He thought he was going to be worse, yet he actually felt good. Standing up he looked at the blonde man who looked too delicate to actually be a military doctor. He put aside his thoughts and changed to the new uniform he was provided as he was sure the previous one was a bloody mess better off being burned. “Thank you.” He said to the blonde man with a nod.

The doctor nodded back and even patted Seamus on the shoulder. “Good luck.”

Somehow the rather simple encouraging words lifted his mood and he felt even more energized. Not thinking too much about it, Seamus made his way to report. After having a brush with death, he felt free. He was prepared for anything. Thanks to the past battle, he was discovered to be good using a gun and was assigned to the Princess Victoria’s 2nd Battalion, otherwise known as the Royal Irish Fusiliers. He was even given a Mk IV Martini-Henry rifle which was way better than the old Snider-Enfield he was given before.

Their mission was to provide cover fire for the Highland Brigade, the 2nd Brigade infantry and the Guards Brigade for the upcoming battle in Tel el-Kebir in which the Commander had already made his own reconnaissance on how the Egyptians forces were deployed. His plan was to use a surprise attack much like what the Egyptians did on the 1st Brigade. Wanting revenge for the loss of many comrades, the British Army was motivated.

Just when dawn was breaking , the first shots were heard followed by several volleys from the entrenchments not only from the Egyptians but also from the British forces which had found a rather tall dune to fire from there.

Boom! Boom!

Zing! Zing!

In a semi-safe place, Seamus reloaded and fired his rifle, each bullet blowing up the head of an enemy. Sand often blew up near his place, yet there hadn’t been any casualties so far. In fact, even the infantry hadn’t suffered any loses which filled the British with renewed spirit.

“Be careful!”

Zing! Boom!

The entrenchment on the British side was finally hit. Many had successfully dodged while others were not so lucky and part of their limbs had been blown off.

Bang! Bang!

The only man who kept firing despite the danger and the bloody sand that covered his body was Seamus himself. His mind was no longer filled with thoughts of living but to kill. Kill. Kill. The more he kills, the more chances for him to live. To live he had to kill. To destroy.

Bang!

“Aah!”

The poor Egyptian who received his bullet got his middle totally pulverized and the person behind no longer had legs. It happened in less than a second; the next thing they knew, their torso and legs were gone as if they were dust blown by the wind. The two of them were not the only ones who suffered the same fate. It was an occurrence that spanned throughout the front of the Egyptian forces. Finally noticing the trend, the Egyptians were filled with fear and started to retreat.

The hastily made up defences quickly crumbled and the British led a massacre much like what had happened in Kassassin with the victim being the Egyptian rebels this time.

Bang! Bang!

Bullets rained over the running rebels who also died in the same savage way many of the other rebels did.

Clack! Clack!

“It’s over, son.” Seamus’ party leader patted the young man’s shoulder to stop him from constantly pulling the trigger without any bullet in. He had seen this young man valiantly and zealously fire at the enemy; not even the bombs could make him move from his position. The party leader stopped his following words when he noticed the young man was trembling all over and the sounds of sobs could be heard. The older man sighed and left Seamus alone. It was always hard for the first-timers.

The following days passed in a blur to Seamus. His mentality had gone back to normal, though his peers had seen him going in a daze many times and thought he was traumatized by the war. Not many youngsters could handle the bloody scenes and turned useless. However, the reason for his inattentiveness was other.

Back home he had been promoted to Lieutenant due to his contributions in war and the recommendation of his party leader. Not surprisingly for the Battalion he used to belong to, he transferred to a logistics company, the 26 Field Company, the Royal Engineers. In there, he began a new life creating weapons.

The British Army became busy with the Mahdist War the next few years, yet Seamus couldn’t care less about it. His only labor was to create weapons, to create more proficient guns that could ensure the life of the soldiers. Yet, his main reason to become an engineer was to experiment on the new power he had acquired.

Practicing with his created guns at night, he let the red Flames travel from his palm, to his fingers, the trigger, the receiver, and finally come out from the barrel. More often than not, the metal of the gun would be destroyed by the strength of the Flames while the projectile would destroy the target. He didn’t know what those Flames were but he could only think of one thing about them.

They could destroy it all. He based his practice, not only with guns but with the basic self-defense he had learned in the Army, in that sole thought to strengthen his new power and himself.

When the Mahdist War was finally over, Seamus was already a Major thanks to his contributions to the British Armory for innovating the weapons used for wars. Seamus easily accepted his rank and expressed his intention to join Colonel Grant in the punitive expedition to Manipur. With his expertise in guns, plus his past achievements, the transfer easily went through. Colonel Grant, however, didn’t like the outsider in his Infantry, yet the orders were already passed and there was nothing he could do except hope the outsider didn’t mess up the operation.

Due to his wariness, Colonel Grant assigned Seamus to the Kohima column. One of the three forces in charge of expedition which needed to be on standby for the time being while Colonel Grant himself marched with the Tamu column to seize one of the enemy garrisons. With his Major rank, Seamus was the person with the highest rank in the column, yet as a mere ‘Engineer’, the column ignored him. And it wasn’t that Seamus tried to order them around; after all, he just wanted to put his new skills in practice.

After days of waiting, they finally received a message from the Tamu column needing reinforcements. Their mission was to create an opening for the Tamu column to retreat from the siege it had been trapped into. The fast pace of the column allowed them to reach Thoubal, the place of the siege, quickly and witness the 2000 Manipuri soldiers firing against the half destroyed garrison in Thoubal.

“We’ll do a pincer attack from the west and the south to create disarray and allow the Tamu to retreat.” The leader of the column decided.

“There are too many. Not long after you start the attack, they will know about our plans.” Seamus interjected noticing the rather alert Manipuri soldiers. “We need a panicked group, and with 50 soldiers in each side of the pincer attack you will only get killed.”

“What do you suggest then?” The leader sneered.

“Take the south. I will go to the west.” Seamus indicated. Not waiting for an answer, he walked towards the west leaving a flabbergasted group.

“Leave him be. He only wants to get killed.” The leader sniffed and made his own plans with the rest of the column to make their own pincer attack in the south side.

Seamus carried the huge box he had brought with him. To keep up the appearances, he had asked five other soldiers to help him carry it when he was more than enough to transport his weapon. It was a prototype of a machine gun he had created and wanted to try its firepower. The design came from the Swiss who were already starting their own production. If his own prototype was successful, he would destroy it. After all, he didn’t want to be made the target of other countries for creating avant garde weapons. Not that they could actually use them, as the cartridges and bullets were different.

The long, belt-fed, reinforced barrel set up on a tripod weighing more than 50 pounds used the special ammunition that were his Flames. It was heavy for a sole person to handle it, yet Seamus only needed himself for the task. As soon as he deemed himself ready, he loaded the gun, aimed and started firing at a rate of 400 rounds per minutes.

Pwrap! Pwrap!

Nevertheless, the force of the recoil was too strong for Seamus who had seen an improvement of his physic after he gained his Flames and he could only fire mid sized rounds. The long belt of cartridges hadn’t even reached ¼ of the length. The good news were that his weapon had the effect he desired.

In Egypt, his sole bullets could pulverize up to six people with one shot. With the new weapon, he could double the amount less messily and mingling a few curved shots too. The Manipuri soldiers were falling like leaves under his firepower. His mind blanked and focused on the movement of his Flames in his body and their power, what they could do still using the premise that his Flames could destroy it all.

Yet, before he could keep experimenting, the Tamu column had already retreated and the Manipuri soldiers were in total chaos seeing how almost 500 of them had easily fallen in the west side. With his job done, Seamus didn’t forget to destroy parts of the machine gun to prevent from others using it while he disassembled it. Before he could put all the parts back to its container, the leader of the Kohima column together with Colonel Grant arrived at his place.

“Major Finnigan.” Grant called out.

“Colonel.” Seamus quickly stood to attention.

“Is this the new weapon from the Armory?” Grant’s greedy eyes gazed at the disassembled parts in the big container.

“Negative, Colonel. This is a new _prototype_ created and which I have received permission from the Company General to test it out. Sadly, it broke down during the test and can’t be used any longer.” Seamus replied with utmost sincerity emphasizing the word prototype.

The Colonel frowned not liking the answer he received. “Major Finnigan. You proceeded with your tests without my consent wasting precious resources for this expedition. I will file your case of insubordination for the higher-ups to punish you as soon as we return.” Colonel Grant said to then turn and leave.

Seamus stood in attention until he made sure the two men had left. “Stupid moron.” An order which detailed him being in charge of the whole tests was provided by his General. That meant he didn’t need anybody’s permission to use his prototype. If Colonel Grant thought he could intimidate him with his abuse of power, then he was going to kick a thick steel plate as soon as they were back in Britain.

The expedition continued when the Kohima and the Silchar column were deployed to sweep the areas they were assigned. The Kohima column only encountered a rifle battalion which they made quick work of and kept on their journey to Imphal. Meanwhile, the Silchar column arrived at the previously sieged Thoubal while the Tamu column was attacked outside Palel forcing them into a hand-to-hand combat in which they won but still lost two soldiers and a dozen resulted injured.

In that style of advancing amidst attacks, the three columns finally reached Imphal which they easily captured after finding it deserted. The leader of the revolt decided to hide after finding out he couldn’t win against the British expedition. Him, along with other five Manipuri commanders were hanged for waging war against the British Empire. With the expedition over, the British soldiers returned home. And as it was expected, the case Grant file didn’t go through and he was even punished for his dereliction of duty for ignoring orders from his superiors.

The results of the tests were filed in a confidential filed and given to the Company Commander personally by Seamus. (Of course, Seamus had prepared the file with the information gathered on a normal machine gun instead of the special one he had created.) The two were not eager to bring to the light their research on powerful weapons. They would take it out when time was right.

Time Seamus didn’t have anymore.

Despite staying in the Company Headquarters for years with his research, he was aware of the power play in the Army. He knew who couldn’t be offended and who you should never, ever cross. Colonel Grant was one of the people that couldn’t be offended, and the punishment he received for not reading documents with orders resulted in a demotion. Of course the man would not stay with crossed armed before such humiliation.

In the middle of the night, a person stealthily entered the sleeping quarters of the Royal Engineers and made its way towards Seamus room without hesitation, someone clearly having divulged the information of where he slept. The door was easily opened just the necessary to let the person in. Inside, the room was dark but not dark enough for the person to miss where the bed was located. Standing before the bed, the person lifted the knife in their hand and pointed it at the bulge on the bed.

“You know, Captain, killing your superior can lead you to death.” Seamus voice suddenly sounded by the door. The Captain, the man who had been his leader in the Kohima column, startled. A red light illuminated Seamus’ face, a red light that came out from his hands. “But I guess the Colonel… uh, my bad, the Lieutenant colonel promised you many benefits to get rid of me, right?”

The Captain didn’t reply and just lunged at Seamus who easily grabbed the hand that held the knife, dislocated the wrist making the knife fall to the floor, and pushed the Captain to the ground.

“You know what’s funny, Captain? I wanted to be someone important in the Army, someone great. But, I learned being someone under the gaze of everybody is not good. I could advise you to stop licking Grant’s boots but I guess those would be empty words. Either way, I was planning on retiring and live a secluded life somewhere. It’s time I can do that. Goodbye, Captain.”

The following day, the disappearance of a Captain from the 12th Madras Infantry plus Major Seamus Finnigan from the Royal Engineers was reported to the higher-ups. However, the matter concluded in an announcement that declared the two being abducted by the enemy when all they could find as clue was the dark void in Major Finnigan’s room. No one knew what produced it or if it would disappear with time. In the end, it became one of the mysteries in the confidential files of the British Army.

With time and without news of the two, they officially declared the two dead. Major Finnigan received a posthumous promotion to Lieutenant colonel due to the development of the new British Machine gun that saw its end of service right after World War I which carried his name, the Finnigan.


	7. A mysterious Unit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cornelio isn't the only one who wants to know about Portelli's Unit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> October 31st, a nice day to update. Yes, it's still the 31st here!
> 
> I am planning something good to commemorate the day dear Harry ended up an orphan an his new life began. So, between today and tomorrow there will be updates :D I worked my ass off just to write all these chapters ;v; 
> 
> There will be other small surprises because I like to complicate myself, but if they don't come to light, I will forget about them and I don't want that.
> 
> So I hope you like the updates! And thanks for reading!

* * *

 

“The Finnigan?! Wait a minute! The Finnigan came out decades before World War I! Why is there a machine gun named after you? Was that person even you? The man must at least be your grandpa, kora!” Cornelio exclaimed after hearing Seamus’ story.

Forgive him for being skeptical but all those events happened in the 1880’s and 1890’s and Seamus didn’t even look thirty, so to Cornelio, the story coincided with the time of his Grandfather. His Grandfather who praised to heaven and beyond the Finnigan machine gun when he used it in World War I back in the 10’s. If -and that’s a big if- Seamus’ story was true, then he should be over 90 years old. Man, he better spit up the secret to eternal youth because he didn’t look like it! So, for that reason, Cornelio couldn’t comprehend what he had just heard.

Seamus just looked at Cornelio with a small smile on his face.

“Seamus, babe, you here?” The door suddenly opened showing a grinning George who was a bit surprised to see Cornelio inside the room, too.

“Ye need me fer somethin’?” Seamus asked not caring about the weird pause.

“Iris is looking for you. Something about getting ready for the next mission.” George said, his mischievous grin back on his face.

“A’right, thanks for telling me. Going there right now.” The Storm said walking out of the room. The modification was done and he also wanted to stretch his legs. It was normal for Iris to consult with him the processes for each mission as he had actual experience with military procedures. Not so much with strategies but he knew the basics of what you should get depending on the mission. It made it all smoother and Iris was always open to suggestions.

With him gone, the other two were left alone in an uncomfortable silence. At least, it was uncomfortable for Cornelio knowing what happened between George and Seamus. “Sooo… I’m going to train a bit.” Cornelio announced and fled from the room. Or so he thought.

“Come on, pal, don’t be a stranger.” An arm over Cornelio’s shoulder stopped his escape. “You decided to get frisky and try new things?” George asked very curious about the answer which only increased Cornelio’s uncomfortable feeling.

“No, no, of course not. I’m not interested in that kind of stuff. I mean, I have a girlfriend, very beautiful, I love her very much. I wouldn’t do that to her. It is not possible, not possible...” Cornelio rambled on, not really saying anything in his nervousness and need to explain things.

“Breath, man!” George had had enough of his incoherent words and patted him on the back. “It’s ok. You don’t need to get this defensive.” He laughed.

“Right, right, I get it… but you… you and him...” Cornelio trailed off not sure how to put it. Again, he was no one to judge, he had read how people were starting to come out and stuff like that, and he still hadn’t figured out what to think about it. If there was actually something to think about. After all, Cornelio’s only concern was his girlfriend regarding the matter of love. Concern that really was becoming a concern as nothing much had changed between them, except the terms ‘boyfriend’ and ‘girlfriend’.

“We are together? A thing? Something? Lovey-dovey? A couple? An item? A pair? Beaus? The apple to each other’s eyes? Our other half? Banging each other due to the solitude of our hearts?” George prompted.

“Dating!” Cornelio exclaimed.

“Cornelio, my friend, I think I now get why you can’t get to third base with your girlfriend. You see, everything is about being open-minded. Open-minded, take the initiative and have a bit of communication in case things get weird. Shit always happen when it comes to sex.” George began with his lecture about freedom of expression. “Seamus and I are not dating; sure thing we sometimes get together, but I also look for Luna or even Iris if I am feeling courageous. Seamus and Luna have also gone at it, and I am pretty sure Luna and Iris tried it once. We have been together for so long that there are not many limits here. The only untouchable ones should be Draco and Astoria because the guys are married. If you actually want to know more about real love stuff to improve your own relationship, go with them. Otherwise, our doors are open.”

Well, the advise was very sound, especially coming from George. And he would keep it in mind.

  
  


…

  
  


“You made a mistake back there, Lal Mirch.” The man in the suit said after they finished their mission.

Lal Mirch pursed her lips and frowned not wanting to make up an excuse because she did mess up in the mission. She was always the one who demanded perfection out of her trainees and yet there she was, making newbie mistakes because she couldn’t focus. “It won’t happen again.” It was all she could say on their way to the store.

“See that it doesn’t.” The man said.

If it wasn’t Lal receiving those words, they would have cursed and said a few things, but not Lal. She knew that one couldn’t afford themselves to do something wrong on a mission as that would mean a certain death. The man was pure perfection when it came to his job, so it didn’t sit bad to her that he would demand the same from others, especially if the others were a rebellious bunch who did things their own way. She hoped Cornelio had it better in his Unit.

The Portelli Unit had never recruited someone directly and the only few people who were assigned to it at the beginning all wanted to leave in a few days. The General Commander always had headaches when it came to Iris Portelli and her Unit but he never admonished her. Her other fellow instructors said that perhaps Iris Portelli sold a few favors to the General Commander with her body, but Lal thought differently. Because the woman didn’t look like the sort. No matter how much Lal was wary of her, there was a respect towards her that couldn’t be erased.

Besides, Iris Portelli also gave her another feeling she couldn’t explain but she was starting to understand.

Done with their mission and reporting the success, it was already late at night. Lal returned to her apartment, cleaned all the grime of the two-day mission off her body, and decided to eat out. What she didn’t expect was to find that Sun in their group in the bistro she frequented.

“I’m really sorry back there, I almost caused the others to get hurt.” She said after she sat down beside him in the bar. The man didn’t respond but he nodded his head accepting her apology. Lal was relieved and started eating her dinner. Minutes later, she was holding a glass of wine and was contemplating if she should ask for something stronger. The man was still beside her already on his third glass of Scotch. “Hey, how was fighting with Lieutenant colonel Finnigan?” She suddenly asked wanting to strike up a conversation.

“Who?” The man finally spoke.

“The guy you pointed your gun at outside the store yesterday. The one who was with Cornelio.” She explained.

The man didn’t know who Cornelio was but he did remember the guy who almost killed him the day before. “If careful I can survive, if not...” He trailed off not really needing to finish the sentence. “Why? You know him?” The man in the suit could seem unapproachable on better days but Lal knew you could actually get along with him if you knew how to.

Lal nodded. “Lieutenant colonel Seamus Finnigan. A member of Iris Portelli’s Unit...” And so Lal told him about the special Unit that was Portelli’s Unit. With her rank of Major, she had access to more information and she knew that the Unit was a very special one that had permission to integrate itself in any Army of the world without any problems and much procedures. However, her rank was not that high to know the specific reason why they could do that.

They never asked for a promotion despite the countless mission they took and they never actively recruited people. Same as other Armies, the COMSUBIN tried to plant their own soldier in the Unit to know their secrets but same as always, those soldiers never lasted long. And each and one of them succumbed to the same. The Unit was weird with their poem reciting assassin, their prank-loving twins and the monster-creator engineer; the others seemed normal yet not enough to make them stay. The whole Unit was madness.

That was why the Unit had always been comprised of Lieutenant colonel Seamus Finnigan, Lieutenant colonel Frederic Gideon Weasley, Lieutenant colonel George Fabian Weasley, Lieutenant colonel Luna Pandora Lovegood, Lieutenant colonel Draco Lucius Malfoy, Lieutenant colonel Astoria Greengrass and Colonel Iris Portelli.

“They are seven.” The Sun suddenly mentioned.

“Yeah, and now they have Lieutenant Cornelio LaGuardia, the one they have proactively recruited, the only one.” She said bitterly. She was sure Cornelio would be assigned to her Unit but then Iris came and the rest was history.

“It might be a coincidence but I don’t believe in coincidences, but they are seven, same as us.” The man elucidated.

Lal Mirch jerked in surprise finally realizing what he meant. “You mean...”

“It is a possibility.” The man confirmed.

“But with Cornelio they are eight-” She suddenly cut herself off, her face turning dark. “When Checker Face came to my house to tell me about the missions, he mentioned he had his eyes on Cornelio but he couldn’t touch him because of Iris Portelli. He said she was problematic.” Lal Mirch had thought that was weird but she never paid attention to it until now. However, that only left her with more questions.

“Who is Iris Portelli, exactly?”

And their Sun had asked the most important of them all. So, to find answers, they recruited their information expert, Viper.

“You brought the money?” The cloaked person asked as soon as they entered the dilapidated shop that acted as their meeting place. Somehow, the others also were there

“What did you find?” Lal Mirch asked. Her Cornelio was in that suspicious Unit, so she was more eager to know what was going on with them and didn’t doubt to take out her savings for that information.

“Not much really, there is nothing on Iris Portelli besides the missions she had taken with her Unit, very efficient, I must say.” Viper praised taking out a stack of papers while recounting some general information they had found. “Same as Iris, I only found information about their missions with Luna Lovegood and the twins. Then, Seamus Finnigan, the surname was very familiar until I found information about the Major who invented the Finnigan Machine Gun, a beast during World War I until it turned obsolete with new models. That Major and your Lieutenant colonel share the same name. Now, Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass. I found so much on them because the Greengrass is an Aristocratic Family which holds records of their members. And those two have a very… romantic story.”

Lal Mirch quickly leafed the papers until she found the information on those two. She felt a knot forming in her stomach the moment she read the very first line.

‘ _Paris, September of 1870...’_

 


	8. A Sun's determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To become a Sun, Draco had to understand the balance between life and death, and to experience both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you believe me if I tell you this fic is halfway done? 
> 
> I wanted to make this fic short because I still need to write the other six ;v; 
> 
> Anyway, I just need the time to write as the ideas are already there. I hope you enjoy this chapter and thanks for reading!

* * *

 

Paris, September of 1870.

With Napoleon’s fall in the Franco-Prussian War and captured in Sedan, the Third Republic rose. However, it wouldn’t be long before the Prussians entered the borders of France and besieged the city of Paris. Not being able to leave, and with nothing being able to enter, the Parisians suffered from hunger and cold; dying one after the other, with no hope. Right before the siege, some smart upper-class families avoided the entrapment although they were intercepted by scattered Prussian soldiers on their way to other cities being chased like dogs.

In a ditch, two adults and a child were huddled, hiding from the Prussians pursuit. They had left behind all their possessions to keep their little lives.

“Lucius...” The woman whimpered as she laid on the dirt.

“Shh, Cissa. They might still be around.” The man, Lucius, warned.

“Lucius, I...” Only then, he noticed there was something wrong with his Wife. Turning, he saw the woman heavily sweating, with a pale face and blood coming down from her legs. As a family of doctors, there was no way Mr. Malfoy didn’t know what was going on.

“Cissa!” He placed their son, which he had nestled in his arms to protect him from the night’s cold breeze, on the ground and went to her. The moment he lifted her skirt, he confirmed what he already knew, she was having a miscarriage.

They had run out of Paris under the dark curtain of night, bribing a few Prussian soldiers but obviously being deceived by those same soldiers who notified others of their escape and started their pursuit. Their carriage, full of things, couldn’t surpass the fast horses so Mr. Malfoy took the decision to run away on foot with his family. His decision gave them the chance to avoid the Prussian soldiers but he was ignorant of his Wife’s state of pregnancy. The mad dash plus the stress of the situation only contributed to the causes for her to miscarriage.

While Lucius cleaned the blood and thought what to do to treat his Wife, the ground started to tremble. The neighing of horses could be heard from afar.

“Lucius,” Narcissa called out tightly grabbing her Husband’s hand. “Take Draco and run.”

“Cissa! How can-”

“Dad.” His words were interrupted by a childish voice. Their son, Draco, had woken up due to the tremor on the ground.

“Go Lucius!” Narcissa said. Either way, she knew she wouldn’t live past the miscarriage. She had been bleeding long before she called out for her Husband. She only wanted for them to run away and leave her behind. She was a burden.

Mr. Malfoy was reluctant but faintly seeing the determined eyes of his Wife plus Draco calling him out with fear in his voice, he made a decision. He took a deep, rattling breath, leaned to kiss his Wife goodbye and then grabbed Draco to run away.

“Dad! Wait for Mom! Mom! Mom!” The man ignored the wails from his son and even clamped his hand on his little mouth so the boy wouldn’t give them away.

Little Draco extended his arm towards his Mom who he could barely see thanks to the light of moon in the sky. His infantile mind couldn’t understand what was going on, why had his Dad left his Mom behind? Why was his Mom not running with them? Why couldn’t they continue living in their big house in Paris? Why? The only answer he got was the scene of his Mom being trampled under the hooves of the horses, mangling the body. Draco stopped breathing for a moment and then fainted from the shocking image.

Mr. Malfoy didn’t dare to stop. The horses were coming closer but he took advantage of the rather uneven terrain to hide and then move towards a different direction. The pursuit continued until he arrived at an extensive prairie. It was then, he knew that they had arrived at a dead end. The grass was not tall enough to hide them even if they laid down. Some of the Prussian soldiers had ditched their horses and were starting to comb the area on foot. It wouldn’t be long before they were found. And their guns were enough to kill them from afar. That’s how he took the second hardest decision in his life.

He looked for the thickest bushes he could find and started to dig in between them. He laid his son’s body in the shallow hole and made sure the boy’s head was placed above the hole, then he put the soil he had dug out back and covered Draco’s body. Once the man made sure the bushes covered him completely, he stood up and ran towards the open prairie. He didn’t know how long he had run but he just did to make sure the soldiers couldn’t find his son. The son his Wife and him were sacrificing their lives for.

_Live, Draco._

That was Lucius Malfoy’s last thought before a bullet pierced his chest. The impact made him fall forwards but he kept crawling, until another bullet was fired from up close and blew his head up.

“The Captain said there is a child, too.” The soldier who fired that last bullet said. “Find him and kill him.”

The soldiers dispersed with some looking around the copse of trees and others using the spear in their bayonets to look in the bushes. Two soldiers arrived right in front of the thick bushes where Draco was at and stabbed without mercy. Luckily, they avoided the boy’s head although the body wasn’t that fortunate and several stabs fell on him. The tip of the spears were very sharp and they successfully stabbed through the soil and on the boy’s body, leaving him to slowly bleed.

The two soldiers were unaware of their actions and the darkness of the night didn’t allow them to see the blood in their spear. So, they thought the kid was not there and left to search another place. Soon, the group of soldiers declared the boy had already run away and continued looking for him far away from there.

The six-year-old boy had a nightmare that night. He dreamed of him and his family escaping like rats, of the constant sound of hooves behind them, following, of his Mom being torn apart by the horses pursuing them, of him and his Dad running away, of his Dad leaving him hidden behind some bushes, of his Dad running and falling not that far away from him, dead. He woke up when he felt pain in his body but his mind couldn’t discern what was going on and he didn’t react to the spears stabbing his body. All he could see was darkness, he smelled the soil, felt the pressure of the same, and heard the heavy footsteps going far away.

A moment ago, he thought he had heard his Dad telling him to live while a sudden rush of warmth circulated his body; but he didn’t want to. His Mom and Dad were gone, what could he live for? He closed his eyes again.

When he opened his eyes again, the sun was already high up in the sky. He laid there for a moment before getting up as he couldn’t stand the pressure of the soil on his body, he was suffocated. He crawled out from under the bushes and the first scene he saw was of the many vultures feasting on the corpse of his Dad. He looked away with a pale face and tears trailing down his cheeks. He felt like throwing up but the only thing he did was run. To escape from the nightmare and wake up to his comfortable bed back in Paris.

But reality was harsh and after many days, all he could see were prairies, dirt paths, and towns being ravaged by the Prussian soldiers. His stomach grumbled day and night from hunger, the meat in his body was starting to disappear and the frame of his skeleton was poking here and there. The bag of water and the little food he had filched from a crumbling house in one of those destroyed towns, were already gone and he didn’t have the means to look for food for himself. He could only go on, move on, keep on. Something made him continue his aimless journey. Something warm. Yet he was unaware of it.

As he walked with the once clothes now rags on his body and his bare feet under the scorching sun, he collapsed. He hadn’t had food in several days, and the water he had drunk from a shallow stream on the road couldn’t support him forever. He was tired and hungry and his feet hurt and he didn’t want to continue walking. He laid there on the dirt road, zoned out but still alive. Near dusk, the sound of galloping horses was heard. He wanted to run but his body didn’t respond. So he only closed his eyes and awaited for whatever had to happen.

The horses came closer and closer and closer until they passed right in front of him, lifting dust in the air, covering his small body with it.

“Ho!” Someone called out. Draco felt how a horse stopped right in front of him and heard the person climbing down. The boy had wished for the people to leave him there but his prayers weren’t heard. He could only make one last effort for his life in case the person was one of the Prussian soldiers. A surge of energy ran through his body, giving him a boost. He sprung up from the ground and started running. His short legs, however, couldn’t take him far before the person caught him. “Wait, wait. I won’t hurt you. I won’t hurt you.” The person said.

Draco turned around and saw a middle-aged man with nice clothes on, looking back at him in concern. Noticing the child was not struggling anymore, the man went back to his horse and placed the kid on its back. He hoisted himself up and instructed the horse to move on after he gathered the fragile boy in his arms.

“Who’s that?” Another man riding a horse approached and asked.

“I don’t know, found him on the road. He is still alive...” _unlike the others we found_ , he stopped himself from voicing out those words but the other man could guess the meaning of his words.

“Although the Prussians had stopped advancing, many people had ran away from their homes. It wouldn’t be surprising if this kid was among those people.” The other man also didn’t elucidate as to the fate of the ones accompanying the boy as it was pretty obvious seeing him alone.

“That’s why our only hope is to move far away from all this unrest.” The man carrying the dazed Draco said.

The boy had a fuzzy memory of the following days as he traveled with the group of people on horseback. After drinking water and eating like a madman, he fell sick with a high fever. The only things he could remember were the sound of the hooves hitting the ground, the several voices around him, the bits of food and medicine he was given and the changing scenery. Finally, his fever broke down seven days into their journey as they arrived far south in Montpellier. The rather pleasant breeze blew on his face waking him up. The picturesque Montpellier appeared in his eyes which started to drip tears uncontrollably.

_I have lived, Mom, Dad._

Draco’s new life was rather simple. He was raised by the same man who picked him up from the road and called him Uncle as a way of gratitude for the man’s selfless act. Draco treated him like family, though he didn’t forget his real parents, those who did their best just so he could escape the pursuit of the Prussian soldiers. To commemorate his roots of being a Malfoy, he started studying medicine. He dedicated his entire being to the study of all kind of medicine. He even frequented the nearest port of Montpellier hoping to buy new imported books.

He also exercised his abilities in the town and was soon renown around. Although he was young, his proficiency was higher than those old doctors who even went to school so many people frequently asked to be treated by him; the treatment was way cheaper too. Draco didn’t have that many resources so he could only save as much money as possible to afford the rather expensive books to keep studying, to keep improving himself to honor the memory of that tall man who was also one of the best doctors in Paris, his Dad.

Of course his success also depended on the strange energy that coursed his body. For years, he had experimented with it and concluded that with that energy, as long as the person was not dead for too long, he could bring that person back from Death’s bony embrace. He also knew he could give different boosts to a healthy person. It was as if the Heavens were giving him a chance to honor even more his family’s name with his abilities. That was how at barely 19, he had earned himself the nickname of ‘Doctor of Death’ with unparalleled knowledge and medical abilities.

In the spring of 1882, he was invited by one of the aristocratic families in Montpellier to a piano concert being held in their magnificent garden. They had invited a talented young woman from Britain who had made a name for herself with her piano skills back in her country and was being sought after in several countries now.

Draco was a popular young man with his haughty and handsome features and composed temperament which attracted many unmarried girls. Many were even bold to invite him out, yet he never reciprocated their feelings. His mind was full of the different methods to treat a patient and ways to learn even newer methods. He had even heard about Chinese medicine and he wanted to try it out. He had actually been saving to make the trip to the foreign lands soon. However, that mindset changed when he saw the young lady invited for the piano concert.

She was a delicate thing with very white skin, brown hair and pretty face. She exuded an aura of maturity despite her young figure, and the way she moved was as if she was an enchanting fairy. Not too pretty but not too simple. Just perfect. His eyes followed her as if he was a devotee, watched how she charmingly greeted everybody present in paused but well-spoken French, how she elegantly sat before the piano and gracefully lifted her hands to begin her concert. Draco didn’t pay much attention to the music, his sole attention was on her. His seat in first row gave him the audacity to unabashedly stare at her from head to toe.

The young lady in the piano felt an intense gaze on her, and looked around to see who was the rather impolite person. Her gaze found the impetuous eyes only for her to pause for a second. Luckily, the rather slow melody allowed her to make that pause without sounding awkward. Withdrawing her gaze, she calmed down to continue with her concert but the insistent gaze made her very nervous. She glanced from time to time at the young man who was basically eating her with his eyes. Her pursed lips unknowingly formed a small smile seeing the dashing man being captivated by her. As a young woman with high upbringing, her vanity was well-formed and she enjoyed the gazed of handsome young men.

This particular one pleased her greatly.

That’s why, the moment the first slow song ended, instead of continuing with the plan of ethereal, cheerful and upbeat Piano Sonata No. 14, she jumped directly to the Piano Sonata No. 23. The Sonata her Mother never allowed her to play in public. The nature of Appassionata, as its name suggested was something a young lady of high upbringing should frivolously show to others. Much less in the way she did: playing while furtively glancing at the young man with silver blonde hair.

After fifteen minutes of intense gazes, demure gazes, and meaningful gazes between the two, she went back to the original concert setup and even ended her concert with the Op. 39 from the French Alkan which pleased the audience very much. In the same way, they were very impressed by the skill of the young lady in front of them. So young and so talented, many sighed. With the concert over, the garden party came and with it the attendees clamoring around the young pianist. The only person who stood away from the hubbub was Draco. He was never one to socialize much, anyway; plus the fact that he wanted to approach her with a deep intention only made him restrain himself and wait.

Finally, he saw his chance to act when he noticed she walked away from the group that surrounded her. Grabbing a flute of champagne, he followed her to a rather quiet corner of the garden.

“Very daring of you to follow me, Mr. Malfoy.” The young lady said knowing very well he had been eyeing her for a while. She also had wanted to have some time alone with him, that’s why she moved to such a secluded place.

Draco was surprised when she called him by his name; but then again, the constant gazes they shared during the concert were not in vain and she must have asked about him. “You are the only one I dare to follow like this.” He said after regaining his composure, and offered the champagne to her.

He knew he was laying it thick but his Uncle had always said it was best to be honest with a woman you were interested in. Saves yourself from too many troublesome things. He sipped on his own drink to hide his smile seeing as he had made the woman in front of him blush.

She coughed to hide her embarrassment and sipped on her champagne. “I suppose you know my name by now, then.” If she could ask about him, she supposed he must have done the same.

“No, not a clue.” He honestly said. He had wanted to be as sincere as possible and ask her name personally. However, his words clearly made her mad because she pursed her lips and glared at him. Yet, before she could start with her tirade, her anger vanished seeing him put a lock of hair that had come loose behind her ear. It was a very intimate gesture that instantly disarmed her.

By the end of the party, he got her name, Astoria Greengrass, and even her permission to look for her in the house her family had bought in Montpellier and were staying in. What she didn’t tell him was about the rather clingy older sister of hers. Who would have thought the Greengrass sisters would be so different? The eldest sister, Daphne Greengrass was your typical spoiled girl with status that thought herself entitled to everything, even the man that was interested in her younger sister. Astoria never minded her sister’s attitude yet when she discovered Daphne almost threw herself into Draco’s arms, she almost lost her mind and yelled at the two.

Draco knew the bold sister might create misunderstanding between the woman he was interested in and him, so he decided to spice up his ambiguous relationship with Astoria; to demonstrate he only had eyes for her.

“Where are you taking me?” Astoria asked following Draco. She was somewhat afraid as he had appeared in the middle of the night in her room, she feared her parents discovering him. But she never thought he would actually ask her out; only then she was more excited than afraid. After a couple of months staying in France, she had gotten to know Draco more. Most importantly, she had fallen in love with him, with his frequent romantic gestures, the way he looked at her, and the indirect words of love.

Draco stopped in his steps and turned around, Astoria stopped too and felt her heart beat like crazy under his smoldering eyes. She swore she even say a yellow hue in them. He gently took her hand and pulled her to the patch of land he bought with the aide of his Uncle to plant many of his medicinal plants. However, after meeting Astoria, he made space for another type of flower. It was native of south Africa and he had spent a good sum of money for it. Growing it was not difficult as he had plenty of experience with plants; what was difficult was the special feature he inlaid in them just to show to his special lady.

The moment Astoria arrived at that patch of land, she was assaulted by a sweet fragrance. That sweetness superseded the pungent smell of the medicinal plants, and the sweetness that filled her heart couldn’t be compared as she saw the small yet delicate blooming white flowers. Some time ago, she had carelessly mentioned she would have like to see the Night Phlox; a flower that only blooms at night. She never thought he would remember.

“Let’s play that song you taught me.” Draco said. He stood behind her, and deliberately brushed his hands from up her shoulders to her small hands. Astoria slightly trembled at the touch and furiously blushed. The song she taught him was the very first one she played in that concert where she met him. She had instructed him through the slow melody by sitting beside him not even touching, so it was the first time they had such intimate contact; she could feel his breathing on her ear, the beating of his heart, and his warmth.

She nodded not trusting her voice to say a word without breaking and just took a deep breath. She was unsure as to why he suddenly wanted to play the song and without a piano to boot, but her mind was muddled from being surrounded by his scent, so she just acquiesced. Her doubts dispelled, though, when she saw the spectacle in front of her. Every time they moved their fingers, the flowers shone with a yellow light to the rhythm of ‘Moonlight’.

“How did you-” She paused as in her surprise, she had gone back to speaking English when Draco could only speak French. “How did you do this?” She was not stupid, whatever happened with the flowers had to do with him.

Her reply was a kiss. At first, she wanted to push him; yet the deeper the kiss got, the more she was reluctant to part from it. So, she docilely stayed in his arms. “That’s a secret between us. Will you keep it for me?” He huskily asked. After that first taste, he wanted more. She dumbly nodded to his words as her eyes stared at his lips. Seeing her like that, Draco’s entire body started to get hot, and it had nothing to do with that energy in the form of Flames. He leaned down again to capture her lips, as his hands mischievously roamed her body. The more pliant she became in his arms, the greedier he got.

Soon, the flowers around them swayed, the cries of the insects were silenced by the lilting voice of a woman who shone together with the flowers around her. It was the beginning of summer but spring had arrived for the pair.

“What happened to you? Suddenly looking so happy.” Daphne’s voice sounded beside the daydreaming Astoria who had stopped playing the piano and looked out the window with a sigh. “You are even glowing. Did you put something on your face? It looks really good, so rosy and smooth.” She asked pinching her sister’s cheeks.

Astoria had stiffened the moment she heard Daphne’s voice, so she could only quietly let herself be manhandled by her sister. There was no way she would tell Daphne that she… she with Draco… Her face flushed remembering the scene under the dim light of the Night Phlox. “It’s nothing. I am just sweating a lot from the hot weather here.” She composed herself and answered Daphne.

“Right! It suddenly turned really hot. Father is thinking of going back to England.” Luckily, Daphne was not very clever and didn’t catch her sister’s sudden nervousness.

“What?” Astoria’s face paled. If they returned, then what about her and…

“Unwilling to part with the little doctor?” Daphne smirked, though her eyes also shone with a complicated light. However, she could see the man was only interested in this quiet sister of hers. She inwardly sighed; just when a decent man had appeared, instead of all those snobby and arrogant men from their social circle. Daphne was doomed to marry one of those men, but her sister had more freedom in that regard. Their parents even allowed the guy to quietly pursue Astoria, though they didn’t promise him anything.

“I… I…” Astoria lowered her head not knowing what to say. With Draco, they had given their mind, soul and body to each other. If she couldn’t be with him…

Astoria’s reaction surprised Daphne and envy filled her heart. It seemed the doctor and her sister were going serious about their relationship. She dispelled the uncomfortable feeling and hesitated a bit before saying the following words. “Actually… I heard Father and Mother talk about Father being summoned to wage war in Egypt, some revolt of the sort.”

Astoria paled even more. Their Father was almost reaching his fifties and had retired from the military with a rank of Company Sergeant Major. If he was called to return, then he would most likely be sent to the front lines and die. The only reason he actually went to the Army was because his younger brother was smarter and more adept at politics than him, so the family relied more on him, thus making their Father look for chances on his own to rise his head high in the noble yet disgusting aristocracy the Greengrass family belonged to.

Astoria’s mood turned complicated and Draco noticed in their next date. After a lot of coaxing, he finally discovered why she looked so absentminded. He gently comforted her but his eyes shone with a determined light. The day her Father was to sail to Gibraltar to report, Astoria was pretty upset and worried. However, when she walked to the dining room for her breakfast, she saw her Father sitting there. Alone.

“Sit, Astoria.” The man gestured towards the chair in front of him. Astoria was relieved knowing her Father hadn’t gone to war, yet it was too son to feel relieved. “Do you love young Mr. Malfoy?” She blushed but still nodded. Her Father sighed. “When he comes back, you may marry him. I already promised him to give your hand in marriage to him.”

“Comes back?” Although she was happy, she could discern an important part in his words.

Her Father sighed again. “I wish you could forgive me, Astoria. Mr. Malfoy wanted to replace me to go to Egypt… In exchange, he made me promise to allow him to marry- Astoria!”

She ignored his call and ran out of the house, quickly climbed into their carriage and ordered the driver to go to the port as fast as possible. If she was lucky, she would be able to catch him on time. She loved her Father, she really did, yet Draco had become her everything. If she couldn’t be with him, then what was the point in living? The moment the carriage arrived at the bustling port, she didn’t wait for it to stop and directly jumped down. She ran towards the port but she had no idea which ship was the one heading for Gibraltar, so she looked for the person in charge of schedules.

“Excuse me, sir. The ship to Gibraltar, which one is it?” She hurriedly asked the old man.

“Gibraltar?” The man paused, then looked around before pointing at a ship far away in the open sea. “That one, already sailed- Miss! Are you ok?! Miss!”

Astoria however didn’t respond as she had already fainted.

 


	9. Alone remain the dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew goes to Gibraltar followed by seven curious cats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the curious ones, the poems recited by Luna are from the book Rhymes of Gustavo Adolfo Becquer. It is a little book written in Spanish, so I am doing my best to translate them to English. It might not be the same as the book as I gave myself the freedom to adjust them to the fic. But I just needed to make the claim that the texts don't belong to me. :D

* * *

 

“Is this it?” The Sun asked with furrowed brows. The story didn’t tell them much apart from the hardships of Draco Malfoy and how he met and pursued Astoria Greengrass before parting to Egypt.

“It is them.” Lal Mirch whispered in the silence of the room. At the end of the report, there was a picture of a young man and young woman standing side by side, smiling. Her heart was beating really fast and she didn’t know why. “This information… is it true?” She asked with choked words.

“100%.” Viper confirmed. The others didn’t dare to question the Mist further, after all, whatever information they gathered was always the right one.

“Are you ok, Lal?” Luce suddenly asked seeing the pale yet sweating face of the Rain. 

“No, I’m not ok. This story happened more than a hundred years ago! But the Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass I know and have seen are the same as in this picture! They haven’t aged at all!” She exclaimed with panic in her voice. “Cornelio is on board of a ship with a group of ghosts! Just what is going on here?” 

The others didn’t know what to say, there was no way they could answer either. If the story was true and the people Lal Mirch had seen were true, then it really begged the questions, what was going on there? What mysteries hid in that ship? Who were actually its crew? And why they had chosen Lt. Cornelio LaGuardia to be part of the group? Did they have a plan in mind?

“Don’t you have more information?” The Sun asked Viper not paying attention to the hysteric Rain. He was not one to wallow in ignorance. If he had questions, then he would ask. If there was no information about what he wanted to know, then he would go search for it. 

“There isn’t much. But I managed to find some important details.” Viper said taking out two more pages from under their robes. “This one is a list of people who were ordered to keep fighting in the war of Egypt. There are two key names in that list. One is from a normal soldier called Seamus Finnigan and the doctor who treated him was Draco Malfoy.”

“The two met in Egypt,” The Sun murmured. He was getting a bit excited the more he unraveled about them. He wanted to fight with that guy he met. “What else?”

“There are two events that I am not sure if they are related, but they caught my attention. One is that after Astoria Greengrass discovered Draco Malfoy went to Egypt, she travelled to Gibraltar against her family’s wishes but she disappeared as the ship was wrecked in a storm. Also, there is a Malfoy family in Gibraltar.” Viper relayed. “Second…”

“My, you are so complacent due to your success rate in your missions that you want to do an extra job?” Checker Face’s voice suddenly sounded. The seven turned to find the man standing by the door of the dilapidated store. They instantly were on-guard. The guy had appeared out of nowhere without anyone being able to detect him. 

“You! You know about Iris and her group! Tell us!” Lal Mirch suddenly said startling the others. Since when was she this unhinged?

“Ah, Draco’s work is always marvelous to see.” Checker Face gushed seeing the red faced Rain. 

Out of the seven, two were quick in understanding his words. Soon, the man with the lab coat, Verde, took out a strange gadget from one of his pockets and pointed it at Lal Mirch. Some seconds later, the gadget beeped signaling that there was something wrong. “There are Sun Flames lodged in Lal’s brain.” Verde stated.

The room fell into an eerie silence. It had to be known that although Sun Flames had the Activation characteristic, it was always used on a person’s body. There had never been records of Sun Flames being used on a person’s brain. It wasn’t that nobody had tried, but because the brain is such a delicate part of the body that with a mere step going wrong, the person could end up ruined. Many Famiglias conducted gruesome experiments, yet the investigation was dropped as it was not worth it to sacrifice the members of their Famiglia for what they considered a theory. Or at least they were dropped publicly; who knew how many illegal experiments were conducted in the Mafia?

Nevertheless, someone had actually succeeded in inserting Sun Flames in Lal’s brain without her even noticing. It said a lot about the person’s capability. 

“There is a reason he is called the ‘Doctor of Death’.” Checker Face breezily commented as he walked into the shop and looked at the picture of the young couple that was left on a table. “The best seven I have ever seen.” He whispered. “If you want to investigate them, then good luck. I hope you don’t die in the process.” With those words he disappeared out of thin air, and the photo glided to the floor. 

“Let’s go.” The Sun said walking towards the door.

“Where to?” Skull, the Cloud, asked confused.

“To Gibraltar, of course.” The smirk on the Sun’s face was full of anticipation.

  
  


…

  
  


“I thought it was a lie, but who would have known?” Cornelio mumbled seeing the electric storm in front of him. 

Legend said that around a hundred years ago a storm suddenly rampaged around the peninsula of Gibraltar. It came all of a sudden with black clouds, thunder and lightning. There was no rain but the sole fact those electric bolts were as wide as a person inflicted panic into the small community of Gibraltar back then. Days passed and the black clouds with its electric storm didn’t dissipate, then weeks came and went, then months, then years. Many scientists started researching the root of such a bizarre phenomenon, but they all came back with more questions than answers. 

With time, the only thing that was discovered was that only members of the families that lived in Gibraltar back when the storm formed first could easily come in and out. Those families were the key to enter the peninsula by ship without being savagely attacked by the bolts of lightning. Soon, Gibraltar became a place exclusive for a group of families. Families still arrived through the border with Spain to make Gibraltar their home but most were military British families as the peninsula was first and foremost a base that turned into a simple city with strong military power. 

It was a naturally protected stronghold. Nobody could attack from the sea. 

“Are we really going there?” Cornelio asked with a bit of fear in his voice. 

“The net of pirates receives aide from a family in Gibraltar. We first need to cut off their resources before waging war against them.” Draco replied. His eyes glinted with a longing light. 

“It’s been a while since we last visited.” Astoria said holding her Husband’s hand. “Do you think he...” Her voice suddenly choked as her eyes reddened. Draco gathered her into his arms to comfort her although he was asking himself the same in his mind.

Cornelio left the couple alone noticing there was something wrong between them. He was envious of the rather harmonious relationship they had as he thought of his fiery Lal Mirch; the woman was so proud that a mere hug meant weakness to her. He sighed. “Hey, Seamus, is the ship going to be ok going into that storm?” He asked the Engineer of the crew. 

“Should be fine.” Seamus simply replied as he directed the ship towards the curtain of thunder that flashed to illuminate the raging sea. 

_IT’S NOT FINE, KORA!!_

Cornelio yelled in his mind over and over again as he held the railings for dear life not trusting the frail looking rope with which he had tied himself to not fall into the sea. He had thought of hiding in his room while the ship traversed the treacherous sea but he was like a jumping ball bumping with this and that thing that he had no other choice but to come out to the deck. 

Seamus was still on the wheel directing the ship while whistling as if they weren’t going through the end of the world. The guy just threw a rope at Cornelio to tie himself up and that was how he ended up precariously dangling from the railings. Draco and Astoria were on the roof of the cabin, hugging each other as if they were on a picnic. They didn’t even move despite the sickening swaying! The twins, Luna and Iris were surfing the vertiginous tall waves while avoiding the lightning bolts that could kill and pulverize a person in less than a second. Luckily, the ship was never struck by one, leaving it to just face the waves. 

Cornelio didn’t know how many liters of salty water he had swallowed, nor did he know if they could actually come out alive from that storm. The only thing he knew was that if they did live, they still needed to go through the same hell to come out when they finished their business in Gibraltar. 

“Wakey, wakey, little Cornelio~” The Rain awoke startled by the hand patting his cheek. He hastily sat up and coughed some water that was obstructing his trachea. “Iris wants you to report to her room.” Fred said as soon as he noticed the man was done spitting the water.

“Ah? Oh, ok. I’m coming.” Cornelio said with a hoarse voice and shakily stood up to slowly walk towards his captain’s room. 

“You are evil, Fred.” George commented.

“You didn’t stop me, George.” Fred returned with an innocent smile. 

“We better hide.” The two said in unison after sharing a mischievous smile. The moment Iris knew they were the ones who sent Cornelio to her room, she would beat them black and blue and leave them to die on deck. So, it was better to take preemptive measures and flee. 

Cornelio had no idea he had fallen into yet another prank from the twins as he made his way to Iris’ room. He knocked and entered but found nobody in the small sitting room where they had their meetings. He ventured towards the door at the back of the room and knocked again. He heard her voice giving him permission to come in and he didn’t doubt to open the door only to find a half naked Iris rubbing her hair to dry it. Cornelio ogled at the small but spicy body of Iris Portelli; the wide hips, the small waist, those round peaks packed in an explosive body that could make a saint sin. 

Iris noticed the one who came in was Cornelio and quickly covered herself with the towel. Although they were very liberal in the ship, the premise was ‘mutual consent’. So far, Cornelio had made it very clear that he had a girlfriend to whom he was very loyal, so the others had to back off. Iris included. “Is there something?” She asked with a shy voice and flushed face. 

“I, I, I… You, you need me?” Cornelio incoherently asked.

Iris narrowed her eyes. More like, she wanted him but she was not allowed to paw. And she wasn’t the Sky of her group of naughty Guardians to not guess what had happened for the ever loyal Cornelio to appear in her room. She had a pair of twins to discipline later on. “Two groups, one is staying on the ship, and the other is coming with me into the city. Which one do you choose?” She asked as she freely started dressing herself not caring about the healthy man standing by the door. 

Cornelio stared as Iris put on stockings and clasped them to the garter belt, matching her panties and bra with them. He gulped and heavily exhaled as Iris slid that tantalizing body of hers into a tight dress. “I… coming with you.” He dazedly replied. 

“Alright.” Iris nodded. “Mind if you help?” She then requested as she moved towards Cornelio and showed the back of her dress with a long zipper. Cornelio shakily pulled the zipper up, yet his hands lingered on her lower back and her nape. “Thank you, now go get ready.” She smiled at him and basically threw him out of her room after she was done teasing. 

Cornelio groaned once he was out of the room and dashed towards his. He had done it again. Being in this unruly bunch who could seduce even a chair was taking its toll on him. He was becoming one of them! Though he wasn’t sure if it was good or bad. He didn’t want to cheat on his hard-won girlfriend, that’s for sure; yet it was hard not to fantasize a bit. Not after he finally heard the Luna-Iris duet. He didn’t sleep that night. 

Anyway, he threw those inappropriate thoughts to the back of his mind and took a quick shower and dressed himself to go out. Judging by Iris’ clothes, it was necessary to wear decent clothes. True to her words, there were two groups; the twins and Luna stayed on the ship while Iris, Draco, Astoria, Seamus and himself went to the city. Cornelio still wasn’t sure where exactly they were going but he still got ready for a fight or any altercation. What he never thought was to arrive first to a big mansion in the outskirts of the city, nor for the maids and butlers in the house to warmly receive then and hurriedly lead them in. 

When he entered a big room with a big bed in the middle of it,  he noticed there was a really old man laying on it. The man looked as if he was going to breath his last yet he still did his best to open his eyes to look to his right where Draco and Astoria stood with forced smiles. Iris, Seamus and him were standing by the door, but Cornelio could still clearly hear how the old man addressed the married couple.

“Mom, Dad.”

  
  


…

  
  


At night that day, seven figures stealthily made their way towards a ship in the dock. With the help of Mist Flames, nobody was able to detect their presences even if they walked right in front of people. Once they located their target, one of them made them stop; then, after confirming there was no one in the ship, they silently made their way up. As the deck was not big, they easily crowded the place while three people checked inside the cabin and rooms. However, not long after they had just checked one of the rooms which was the kitchen, a voice suddenly appeared. 

“Ladies and gentlemen! It is out pleasure to have you onboard of our very humble ship! I hope you enjoy your stay and give us a good review at the end of your experience!” 

“No, no, George, these are not guests.” Another voice interrupted the merry music and voice.

“Oh, please enlighten me, dear Fred.” The merry voice, George, asked.

“You see there? We have a familiar face on the ship.” Fred replied with mirth.

“My, my, isn’t that Cornelio’s girlfriend?” George singsonged.

“Has she come to share a very hot night with our little Rain?” Fred speculated.

“And with six others.” George marveled.

“So kinky!” The two exclaimed at the same time. 

The Sun with the suit knew they had fallen into a trap, so he signaled the other two to retreat and hope that the ones outside had already escaped. Although he looked calm in the situation, his back was heavily sweating as he truly hadn’t detected anyone on the ship. Yet the moment the two voices appeared, he could feel as if the two were everywhere. If he wasn’t mistaken, then they had entered an Illusion. 

“Leaving so soon? That’s very rude.” George sighed. As Fon got closer to the door, his heart started beating really fast and the only thought in his mind at that moment was that they were done for. Then, the three felt as if they were falling but the two voices could still be heard clearly. 

“You know what, George? I think Cornelio’s girlfriend didn’t come with good intentions.” Fred stated.

“I was thinking the same, Fred. Then, what should we do? Play a bit, or let the cat out to catch the mice?” George inquired.

Meanwhile, as the three kept falling, they could see the other four far away from them were also falling. They could only exclaim at the strength of the Illusion since not even their Mist user was able to break it to let them escape. Once they stopped falling and landed on a labyrinth, the two voices decided their verdict. 

“Let the cat out! Have fun!”

The seven ignored what would happen to them in the labyrinth but they still had the same idea as soon as they saw themselves separated from the others: regroup! At first, they called out for their partners but noticing nobody answered as the sound was insulated, they just made a mad dash towards any direction in hope to find their companions. They didn’t know how long they had traversed the labyrinth without seeing anybody, plus the silent surroundings, it was starting to affect a few of them. Especially those who were not proficient in fighting and didn’t have much resilience. 

Suddenly, their hearts stopped as a new voice resounded in the labyrinth. 

“ _From a clock, the pendulum swayed to the beat and candles sizzled.”_ The voice belonged to a woman and it was very soft and melodious, yet for some reason the words were like needles that pinched their hearts and numbed their scalps. _“So faint and sad, so dark and rigid everything was found…., so I thought for a moment:”_ From down her path, Luce could see an ethereal figure dressed in a pale yellow dress. Luce’s breath was very fast and sweat poured down from her forehead. What scared her the most was the fact she couldn’t See anything. There were no images that could tell her if the person in front of her was alive or dead. _“My God, so alone remain the dead!”_ The girl’s voice came from behind Luce and her beautiful face was the last thing the Sky saw.

Skull startled as he heard Luce’s screaming voice. Not even once he stopped running. He felt like a trapped rat waiting for death. As the stuntman that not even death wanted him, the feeling was very uncomfortable. Suddenly, a big blow came from his side and he rebounded on the wall of the labyrinth spraying blood.  _“From the high bell, the iron tongue gave it, twirling, its sorrowful goodbye.”_ If it wasn’t for his Cloud Flames, he would have lost his left arm. He jumped to his feet and kept running; there was no way he could fight that monster.  _“The bereavement in the clothes, friends and mourners traversed in a row, forming a procession.”_ Several cuts appeared on his legs that made him drop on the floor, he crawled as more cuts adorned his body and red blooms painted his path until darkness came.

Contrary to Skull, Lal Mirch remained calm and pasted her back to the wall of the labyrinth as soon as she heard Luce’s scream.  _“From the last haven,”_ came the sweet voice from her right and Lal quickly opened fire,  _“dark and narrow,”_ bullets were shot on her left.  _“opened the pickaxe a hole_ _by_ _the side;”_ Lal Mirch’s bullets never stopped for a moment, flying in every direction possible,  _“there they laid her,”_ the Rain felt a pull on her leg which dragged her down the path,  _“covered her then,”_ as she was dragged she didn’t stop firing yet she could feel her body sliding over a liquid with a metallic smell. Her pupils dilated,  _“and with a salute parted the grie_ _ving ones_ _.”_ Down the dark path, Lal Mirch disappeared.

“ _With the pickaxe on the shoulder, the gravedigger singing between his teeth, far away he got lost.”_ Verde exhaled and stopped on his steps. He was relaxed and felt relaxed, there was no need to panic or fuss. They were clearly in a situation where ‘Curiosity killed the cat’. Plus, he had not much fighting capabilities. It was best to let happen, whatever had to happen. He lit a cigarette and resumed his steps. _“Night came, silence reigned; lost in the shadows, I meditated for a moment:”_ Yet seeing the pretty girl in front of him, waiting, he only smiled as he thought, ‘Satisfaction brought it back’. 

“ _My God, so alone remain the dead_ , right?” Verde asked and he received a smile in reply. 

Viper sat in a daze. For years they had thought they were the strongest Illusionist. They were even chosen as the strongest Mist by that creepy ass of Checker Face. But reality told them that there was someone with stronger abilities than them. Wasn’t this  mocking them ?  _“In the long nights of the freezing winter,”_ to make things worse, there was another creepy monster slashing their Illusions as if they were paper,  _“when the wind makes the wood creak.”_ They couldn’t believe how an elegant and pretty girl could be this murderous, this precise while killing.  _“And the windows are whipped by the downpour, of the lonely poor girl I am reminded.”_ Viper still sat in a daze as their last defense of Illusions were broken. Their hood fell showing the refined face of a young woman.

As Fon walked in an erratic pace, he dodged the slashes that had been harassing him for a while now. From time to time, he was able to see that flickering figure that swung a dagger in her hand. If it wasn’t because he could easily die by her hands, he would have praised her fighting style and her poetry.  _“There falls the rain, to the eternal rhythm; there he battles her, with the north wind blowing.”_ He really could feel the dangerous air contained in her attacks, so he couldn’t be careless.  _“In the humid wall, laying in the niche, perhaps from the cold her bones froze!”_ Ah, she had been toying with him. She was a Cloud. With a thud, Fon fell to the floor. 

_Clank! Clank!_

“ _Returns dust to dust?”_ The girl in yellow sorrowfully asked as her wrists constantly flickered.

“Who knows.” The Sun in the suit replied with a smirk. His blood was boiling. Before it was the Storm, now this Cloud. He thought it was worth it to follow this ship through that torrential and dangerous sea.

“ _Returns the soul to heaven?”_ She then asked as her image flickered and more attacks headed towards him. 

“As long as I can battle you there.” He relished with a frenetic light in his eyes. His bullets only hit air and he did his best to parry or dodge her attacks. His suit was already in shreds yet his body was still intact.

“ _Is everything vile matter, rottenness and silt?”_ He could hear her voice in all directions as her image multiplied, propagated and finally made his blood stain the walls and floor. _“I don’t know: but there is something that explain I cannot.”_

“I am all yours!” He exclaimed as he stood in a pool of blood. He extended his arms and dropped his gun. “My name is Renato Sinclair, may I know yours?” He madly smiled with expectancy. 

“ _Why it brings reluctance and bereavement to leave so sad, so alone, the dead?”_ Having stopped their battle, she slowly walked towards him. She stood on the tip of her toes and pecked his lips, to then lick the blood smeared on her lips, his blood. “Luna Lovegood.”

“Welcome!” The twins and Luna said at the same time.

 


	10. The protection of a Lightning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cornelio listens to the story of who the person in the bed is. 
> 
> The crew gets rid of the Costa Family at a price.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The pace of the fic is increasing as we reach the final chapters... The fic didn't show the things I had hoped to write about, nor do I think it was about what you thought it would be about. BUT, it really revolves after the main aspect I wanted to write about which will be revealed on Chapter 14. 
> 
> I hope that those who read this fic are still enjoying it! Thanks for reading!

* * *

 

Astoria numbly laid on the bed. She had been detained for almost a month in her room after she suddenly went out the house to the dock looking for Draco only to discover the ship had already sailed. Almost a month of not knowing what was happening in Egypt. Her plan had been to go to Gibraltar and wait for news there as the peninsula was like a checkpoint for the British Army. However, her father had put maids upon maids keeping an eye on her fearing that she would recklessly leave alone. The idea hadn’t left her mind but she couldn’t find the chance to apply it. As time passed, anxiety ate her and she fell ill.

The door opened as her mother and a strange foreign man entered. The man carried a box that Astoria knew were medical instruments. The man was a doctor called to treat whatever illness she had as the previous doctors that were called couldn’t identify it. Knowing the routine, Astoria docilely followed the doctors instructions in his broken French. He even took her pulse and waited for a few minutes just hearing the rhythm of her heartbeat. 

After that, the man took out a notebook and started scribbling. He then ripped the paper and gave it to Lady Greengrass. “Make food with ingredients. She needs them. Now.” The man said. Worried by the urgency of the doctor, the woman hurriedly made her way out towards the kitchen leaving the man and Astoria alone. “I know Draco.” The man suddenly said.

Astoria’s dim eyes suddenly sparkled due to his words and she looked at him with expectancy. “Do you know anything?” She hadn’t paid much attention to the man before but looking at him, she noticed he looked what Draco once called Asian, with the small eyes and straight, black hair. 

The man shook his head. “I teach him Chinese medicine. You have baby inside.” He announced shocking Astoria to the core. The man knew how scandalous it would be for an unmarried woman to be pregnant so he told her alone; it was a favor too, as he knew Draco. Astoria moved her hand to her flat stomach as fear inundated her heart. Draco had been the only man she had been with, so the baby must be his. However, the father himself was far away in a country infested by war. What would happen to her and her baby if he died there? The sole thought made her eyes redden, wanting to cry. “Do not agitate. Bad for baby. Rest and eat.” The man seriously advised.

Astoria could do nothing but bottle up her emotions. After the doctor’s visit, her idea of going to Gibraltar took an incredible precedence. Apart from resting and eating to earn the strength for the trip, she also meticulously planned for her escape. When she finally found the chance early in the morning, she took out the pouch with money she had saved, the little sac with food and clothes, and quickly made her way to the window. Her room was in the second floor but she had already prepared for that and threw the tied sheets over the balcony to carefully make her way down. She was pregnant, after all. 

Once down, she looked around and walked towards the entrance and finally dashed down the dark and solitary street. She didn’t mind walking towards the port. However, not long after she started walking, a carriage could be heard behind her. She hoped she hadn’t been discovered but her heart clenched when the carriage stopped right beside her. 

“Get in.” 

“Daphne.” Astoria whispered surprised at seeing her sister in the carriage. She hesitated for a moment before getting inside the carriage hoping against hope her sister wouldn’t take her back to the house. To her surprise, the road they took was the one to the port. “Why?” The younger woman asked.

“You think it is a coincidence me being here and you being able to get out?” Daphne scoffed.

Astoria quickly caught her sister’s meaning. “Thank you.” She said with a tight voice. After all, without her help, she wouldn’t even have been able to see the streets outside. 

“I just hope you don’t regret this.” Daphne said with the seriousness of a lady of high caste and being the older of the two. No matter how much she envied her younger sister for finding a man she could wholeheartedly love, sometimes acting on the whims of the heart was more harmful than anything. 

Astoria grabbed Daphne’s hand and directed it to her lower abdomen. With a bright smile, she revealed, “I’m pregnant, Daphne.”

The older woman retracted her hand as if scorched out of surprise. Being pregnant was the bane of an unmarried lady, it was the greatest shame to the family, yet there her sister was, beaming as if being pregnant was the biggest blessing she had received in her life. Unless…  _unless the baby was his_ , she thought with shock running through her body. Daphne had always considered Astoria as a naive, innocent girl who always did whatever their parents told her to do. Even her career as a pianist was decided by them and she had never said no to their decisions. 

Yet for the first time, Astoria was doing something so extreme because she fell in love with a man, and even went so far as to have intimate relationships with him and end up pregnant. Daphne’s crazily beating heart couldn’t calm down the whole journey to the dock, nor did she express anything towards her younger sister. She even thought that what they were doing was wrong, totally wrong. Astoria would travel alone to the unknown just for a man, the father of her baby. Truly too scandalous. The moment the carriage stopped, Daphne grabbed Astoria’s arm. 

“Be happy, and take care of the baby.” She finally said after a while. Persuading Astoria would have been for naught. Telling her to patiently wait for that man was idiotic in Daphne’s mind as he had gone to war. There was no guarantee that he would come back alive. So she just wished her younger sister to not be too stupid, and to form a family quickly if the man never came back. If not for herself, at least for the baby.

“Thanks,” Astoria said with a soft voice. “I’m sorry.” With those words, she climbed down the carriage and headed to the office in charge of selling the tickets for the ships. 

Seeing the dainty figure of the leaving Astoria, Daphne never thought it would be the last time she saw her. She watched with a detached expression how her parents panicked when they couldn’t find Astoria in her room. She even misled them to give her sister more time to arrive to her destination. As days went by, Daphne received news that the ship that sailed to Gibraltar sank after being caught in a storm and nobody survived. The woman almost fainted but was able to maintain her composure, though she still decided to reveal the news to her parents and tell them Astoria was in that ship.

Her father almost beat her to death that day but was timely stopped by the maids and her mother. It took Daphne a year to recover and what she got after that was a marriage with a tycoon in Italy surnamed Zabini. Her father claimed he didn’t want to see her anymore after what she had done to Astoria. Daphne never felt close to her parents as she knew long ago what her fate would be, so she didn’t feel bad leaving her parents in Britain while she was shipped to Italy. Luckily, her Husband didn’t treat her bad throughout their married life. Her only regret was letting Astoria go to Gibraltar and she constantly called for her on her deathbed. 

After the storm, remnants of the wrecked ship arrived to the coast of Gibraltar. Soldiers were notified of the accident as the ship had been somewhat close to the coast, so they were expecting the pieces of the ship and the corpses to reach them in the following days. What they didn’t expect was the sole survivor of the wreck, a young woman who clutched a piece of the mast successfully making her stay afloat throughout the storm. She was taken to the nearest hospital and treated. When she woke up, she couldn’t remember anything. She only knew she had to meet someone who went to war.

The doctors and nurses only felt pity towards the young woman. With no exact identity of who she was and who she wanted to meet, it was most likely she would end up alone in Gibraltar. To make things worse, she was pregnant. They still marveled at the fact she hadn’t had a miscarriage from the perilous accident she had been in. Though, her existence quickly passed to a second plane seeing the strange phenomenon going on in the sea around the peninsula. An electric storm surrounded Gibraltar with no hints to disperse. 

As time passed, the storm never left. The woman rescued from the shipwreck labored in the hospital as she had no other place to go. She received meals and a place to stay in exchange of whatever help she could provide. Strangely, she felt familiar handling medical equipment and began to guess that maybe her family or her partner was a doctor. She rubbed her swollen belly as she heard thunders rumbling outside. Whatever her life was before she lost her memories, she knew she had to protect the little bundle inside her, no matter what.

“Quick, quick! More will arrive the following days!” Doctors and nurses ran around the hospital with soldiers on tow carrying injured men after injured men into the place making it fall into chaos. 

“What’s going on?” The amnesiac woman asked the other person accompanying her who was also sterilizing the medical instruments hearing the hectic footsteps outside the room. 

“Ships coming from Egypt have just arrived with the men injured in the war. Though, I think many injured ones are from the storm out there.” The other woman replied. 

The amnesiac woman’s head throbbed hearing those words. She looked out the window and towards those huge black clouds in the sky. There was a feeling inside telling her that whoever she was waiting for would come soon. With that thought, she made it her habit to go to the hectic port of Gibraltar, which constantly received ships coming from Egypt, whenever she had time. Normally it would be at night. With lightning flashing, they illuminated the otherwise dark sea and with it illuminating the ships that dangerously swayed due to the raging waves. 

She witnessed the scene with a palpitating heart. The scene of the far away ships struggling to make their way towards Gibraltar. Lightning bolts almost  struck them . It must have been her imagination but she managed to see a man with silver blonde hair on the deck of one of the ships. Her heart stopped for a millisecond seeing how a lightning bolt was headed towards that ship. She could only yell in her mind ‘NO!’ and the bolt missed the ship. After that, more and more lightning bolts missed those ships and they safely made their way to the dock. 

Once docked, the ships started the same routine of hastily bringing down the injured soldiers they were transporting being carried by the other soldiers. Among them, the man with silvery blonde hair was very conspicuous as he directed the soldiers and quickly followed them. The woman unconsciously followed the trope of men to the hospital which turned frantic once more. With people running here and there, she couldn’t find the person she was looking for until someone called out from behind her, “Astoria.”

She automatically turned around -even if she still couldn’t remember her own name- to get face-to-face with the man with the platinum blonde hair. There was surprise in his eyes but there was also another emotion in them. His gaze traveled down to her swollen belly and his face spanned all sort of expressions before settling into serenity. He opened his mouth to speak but another person beat him to it.

“Captain Malfoy! You are needed in emergencies!” A soldier who had been traveling with him in the ship called out.

“Stay here in the lobby, I will come look for you later.” Captain Malfoy said to her. He halted his hand from touching her hearing again the soldier urgently calling for him and he just smiled at Astoria before leaving. 

Astoria couldn’t remember who the man was but there was an inexplicable familiarity of sweetness filling her heart when she saw him that she couldn’t help but do what he said. The lobby started to empty once the pack of soldiers were told where in the Headquarters they could stay. Astoria remained there, alone, waiting. With time, drowsiness came and she began to battle against her eyes closing for a long time before she was gently gathered into a man’s arms. 

“What are you doing here?” The man whispered in her ear which startled her awake and she hastily pushed him. “What’s wrong?” 

“I, I… I don’t know you.” No matter how comfortable she felt around him, she just wouldn’t let any man touch her. 

The man’s small smile disappeared at her words, and he turned serious. There was even a hint of hurt in his eyes that made her heart clench. “Don’t move.” He asked. She dumbly stayed still not knowing what he would do, though he just pressed around her head finding a bump. He had been told earlier by the other doctors that she was a survivor of a shipwreck and that she couldn’t remember anything when he asked the doctors about her. He just hoped that she would at least remember him but it seemed that was not the case. 

“Is something wrong?” She asked seeing the gloomy expression on his face. 

He took a deep breath and smiled at her. “I am Draco Lucius Malfoy, the father of your baby.” He announced to her because he was 100% sure that baby was his. 

Draco Malfoy learned to use his Sun Flames to treat a person’s brain due to Astoria’s condition. Medicine was not advanced enough  at that time  to allow him to treat her with the traditional methods so, as he stayed with her in Gibraltar waiting for the birth of their child, he also started experimenting little by little how to make his lover regain her memories. The bump on her head was just a blood clot that was pressing the side of her brain which caused her amnesia. He also stayed in the hospital, treating the myriad of soldiers that resulted injured in the Anglo-Egyptian War to earn an income. 

His abilities as a doctor allowed him to quickly rise in the Officer ranks during war becoming a Captain. His outstanding job treating the soldiers in the hospital warranted him another successful promotion to Major, but what made him happy at that moment was not the promotion but the birth of his son. Although Astoria had somewhat accepted the fact he was the father of her baby and acquiesced to live together with him, they were not very close as she still thought of him a stranger. She couldn’t easily go to any man that claimed to be the father of her baby before regaining her memories.

Draco didn’t mind the way they interacted. Although she always ran away from his advances, he was sure she would be the one throwing herself to his arms as soon as she remembered him. For the time being, he had the luxury to take care of his baby son as Astoria had to recover from the rather difficult birth that rendered her unable to have another baby in the future. Finally, before their son turned one, he entered her room at night. Sleeping in different rooms was her idea and he let her do what she felt most comfortable with. Taking advantage that she was asleep, he quickly put her into an even deeper sleep with the help of anesthesia. 

Placing her head on his lap, he moved his hands and gently pressed his fingertips on her skull. Tiny filaments made from his Sun Flames carefully entered her head and roamed right over her brain, taking care not to touch any part but the one he had to treat. The filaments monitored the activity in her brain while they located the problem. Once they found it, they started to drill the blood clot. He didn’t want to remove the clot as that was not possible without opening her skull, thing he didn’t want to do due to the high risk the procedure presented. What he wanted was to activate the blood from the clot to make it run again in her system.

It was a delicate process in which he couldn’t move at all. He even ignored his crying son when he suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. The maid they had hired hastily made her way toward the boy’s room noticing neither Astoria nor Draco went to attend him. Before the sun rose in the horizon, he was done with the process and follow up of the reactivated blood that ended up being thrown up as her system rejected it. Luckily, there were no other complications and he could finally move to pay attention to his waking son who once again was seeking attention. 

It was mid morning when Astoria opened her eyes. She felt as if she had been dreaming for a long time. Dreaming that the ship she was in was caught in a storm as she made her way to Gibraltar; that her only thought at that time was to protect the baby she had conceived with Draco; that she arrived at Gibraltar and worked in a hospital waiting for Draco; meeting Draco but painfully rejecting him; living a rather quaint life with him; their son being born and the devastating news that she wouldn’t be able to have more kids; Draco taking care of her and their baby. 

As she made her way towards the dining room, she reminisced what she had lived the past two years. 

“Good morning, Astoria.” Draco smiled at her while he patiently taught their little Scorpius how to use cutlery to eat his snack. 

“Good morning.” She reflexively replied. It was a very normal greeting that actually left her a bit breathless. It wasn’t a dream, she knew, yet she just confirmed it. She really was living with Draco and their son. 

“Mama!” Scorpius called out seeing her sitting beside him.

Astoria suddenly felt very overwhelmed. “Morning, baby boy.” She said gathering him in her arms. “I love you,  Scorpius .” Her voice broke feeling as if it was the first time she was seeing her son. It was a very strange feeling but she was coping with it. Lifting her head, she found herself being stared by hot liquid silver. “I love you, too, Draco.” She bashfully smiled at him. 

Draco felt as if an immense weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “Welcome back, Astoria.” He said. The family of three lived a happy life for two more years with Draco once more receiving a promotion to Lieutenant colonel by creating numerous medicine and medical procedures before a man with a checkered suit came knocking  on their door. 

  
  


…

  
  


Cornelio quietly listened to Iris whispering the story of the couple and the relationship they had with the old man in the bed. The family of three were having a very quiet and peaceful conversation forgetting about Iris, Seamus and him standing by the door. Iris stopped her story right after she mentioned the man with the checkered suit as she noticed movement by the bed. Astoria had leaned on the body of the old man and quietly  started to  sob as Draco brushed her back trying to console her as he himself spilled silent tears.

Time passed and Astoria kept crying on the inert body of her son. Meeting that man so many years ago was a curse. Although they had met marvelous friends, she and Draco were doomed to see their baby boy grow up, become older and older as he formed his own family, seeing their own grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up older to finally see their own Scorpius die. Yet they never aged, they never died. It shouldn’t have been like that. They should have parted first. However, their own son was happy to have parents right until his very last breath. And that was what hurt her the most, the fact he saw their curse as a blessing  when she didn’t feel the same . 

“Don’t be like this, Astoria. He left with a smile and here you are, bawling like a little kid.” Draco said after he finally composed himself although his hoarse voice betrayed his own pain. He glance at Iris asking for help and the Sky quickly moved and walked the devastated Astoria out the room. 

Seamus heavily sighed. “To think we would witness the last moments of the little tyke.” It could be said that they had all seen Draco and Astoria’s son grow up, they also loved him dearly as if he was their own. “Are you ok?” He asked Draco patting the latter’s shoulder. He needed to be strong to lessen the couple’s pain a bit. 

“I should be. Astoria, on the other hand...” Draco replied seeing the smiling and serene face of his aged son. He looked as if he was sleeping, and not dead. 

“She is strong. Besides, Iris is with her.” Seamus comforted. 

“That’s even more worrisome. When he died, she vanished for a while before appearing again in front of us nonchalantly saying we were the only family she had left, so we had to cope with her.” Draco chuckled. 

“Some coped with her more than others.” Seamus commented alluding to the times Iris looked for them to be intimate. She had started that habit of theirs of looking for each other to sooth that one need. Though that was the only thing they could do about it as forming a family outside their group would be as painful as what Draco and Astoria were going through. More like, they couldn’t form a family outside; they only had each other. The only real couple in their crew was the only blessed one in that aspect. “Want me to help you?” The Storm asked.

Draco remained silent for a moment before nodding. With a wave of his hand, Seamus used his Storm Flames to Disintegrate Scorpius’ body, turning it into fine dust that was put inside a flower vase Draco found by the night table. Once they returned to the ship, the rests would be put into a more appropriate container. Cornelio watched the procedure in silence. Although he had spent almost a month with the crew, he didn’t feel close enough to say something of substance. There was still the fact that Draco and Astoria’s son was an old man. Just that thought sent shivers down his spine and he began to question what exactly his crew was. 

The three men made their way towards the Sunroom of the mansion where the maids told them Iris and Astoria were waiting for them. Once they arrived, Astoria was the first to stand up. She didn’t mention anything about Scorpius. “Let’s finish this job as soon as possible.” That’s what she said with her red eyes but there was no pain in them. Draco inwardly sighed and nodded. He gave the flower vase to the maid who led them to the Sunroom and asked her to bring it to their ship.

The people working in the mansion were the descendants of the very first people Draco and Astoria hired to work for them. They knew all the secrets of the Malfoy family and were very loyal so they never leaked any of those secrets. That’s why Draco trusted the maid to do as he said. 

  
  


…

  
  


The Costa Family was a Spanish family that arrived to Gibraltar a few years ago to open a hotel near the beach. They focused on real estate in Spain, so having a hotel in the peninsula of Gibraltar was not so surprising. However, the reason why they built that hotel was to have an easier access to the open sea and sponsor a net of pirates that smuggled weapons from and to Spain. The Costa Family was a Mafia Family. Hitting this branch of the Costa Family wouldn’t affect it much in their business, yet that was not Iris’ group’s mission. Their mission was to destroy that net of pirates.

The point of destroying the branch in Gibraltar was to cut the pirates’ reinforcement and resources and give a warning to the Costa Family to not get too greedy. 

The military was not so saintly as portrayed to the public. There were always shady business for their continuous existence. If there weren’t people to fight against, then there was no need for soldiers. It was a symbiotic relationship between ‘good and bad’. 

According to Scorpius, the Costa Family had threatened a lot of prominent families that could pose as obstacles for their business. Many left the peninsula to avoid problems, the Malfoy family included, that’s how the Costa Family was able to develop at a frightening speed in just a few years. Scorpius decided to stay because he was sure his parents would one day return to deal with the Costa Family in Gibraltar and those pirates; it could be said his belief was what kept him alive for so long despite spending his time bedridden. And without his intel, the group wouldn’t even know where to start looking.

_Crack! Boom!_

For the first time in decades, the black clouds that constantly surrounded Gibraltar moved; the slowly covered the whole peninsula as thunders kept rumbling. The phenomenon alerted all the people in the place and they ran for cover afraid that a lightning bolt would fall on them. One did strike one of the hotels near the beach. The guests ran for their lives and immediately abandoned the hotel as the police and soldiers started arriving at the building. In the middle of the chaos, five figures made a mad dash towards the hotel. 

“There are nine rooms underground. The bigger one contains most of the people. Some are moving towards the exit, probably to investigate the ruckus.” Astoria informed after scanning the place thanks to the lightning bolt she used to strike the hotel. 

“Seamus and I will go in the front.” Iris started making arrangements. “Draco and Astoria take the middle, keep informing us of their movements.” She then ordered the other woman of the group. “Cornelio, we are trusting our backs to you. Provide support as necessary.” The Rain nodded with a grave face. Being in the rear didn’t mean they distrusted his capability; on the contrary, because they trusted him, they believed their backs would be safe with him there. 

Once they were in position, they walked towards the hidden door that would take them underground and waited. Four men suddenly sprung out of from the wall but were quickly intercepted by two people. Using the same movements, Seamus and Iris first grabbed the two men that came out first, then they spun and covered their own bodies using the two men. 

“Ugh! Argh!” Their hostages received the brunt of the bullets shot by their other two companions in their haste to get rid of the intruders. Before noticing their blunder, two flashes of light moved towards them. It was too late to dodge and their bodies plummeted to the ground. Without a pause, Sky and Storm entered the secret passage followed by Draco and Astoria. In the back, Cornelio glanced at the bodies of the four men who didn’t know how they died. Even his own eyes blurred due to the speed of Iris and Seamus’ actions. 

Two men died from friendly fire and the other two had a hole in their heads; one was a perfect round hole and the other was a bit messier due it being created by an extremely hot temperature. There was even a weird smell coming out from that man. Cornelio didn’t know who of these men had it worse, but he had no time to ponder any longer as he had his own task to fulfill. The five quickly searched each room in the underground floor quickly disposing of any straggling man from the Costa Family and even freeing a couple of hostages before telling them to run towards the exit. 

“There is movement in the big room.” Astoria suddenly notified after searching the last room. “Ten men are quickly moving towards our position.” Their position being the main hallway that connected all the rooms. Even though they could get rid of a couple of men without any problem, the fact they were in a wide space made it hard for them to fight a high number of enemies, fearing they would be surrounded. 

“Move aside!” Cornelio interjected. The other four didn’t need to be told twice before they dove to the room they had just come out from. The wooden double door that headed to the big room was barely opened before a loaded beam of light struck it.

_ Maximum Burst! _

The door, together with the men behind it, were blown up. Seamus and Iris’ figures quickly made their way into the room taking advantage of the smoke to cover their presence, Draco following behind them. Just when Cornelio was about to jump into the fray, he was stopped by Astoria.

“We did a miscalculation. There is a mechanism hidden here that will destroy the place if we-” She hurriedly explained as she dragged the Rain but it was too late.

“Don’t think of leaving this place alive!” The two heard a man roar behind them. And without any prompt, inside the big room a gigantic explosion burst, setting off a series of explosions in the other rooms. With no other choice, Astoria called forth another lightning bolt that struck right on them. However, instead of hurting them, it created an electric barrier that protected the two from the impact of the destruction around. 

As soon as the ground stopped trembling and the fire settled down, Astoria and Cornelio saw two stout yet bedraggled figures making their way through the rubble of the big room, one of them carrying a smaller figure. 

“Quickly open a path, she is losing too much blood.” Draco, with an Iris in his arms, ordered. 

Astoria paled seeing the bloodied Iris in her Husband’s arms and didn’t think twice before slashing her harpoon smashing the rubble in front of them into smithereens. Together with Seamus, the two made quick work opening a path for them to walk through. The lobby of the hotel was on the verge of falling down and they hurried towards the back to avoid the crowd in front of the hotel. Seeing a few cars parked outside, Seamus walked towards one and hijacked it for their use. The Storm pressed the gas pedal to drive towards the docks with Cornelio in the copilot seat and the couple in the back, doing first-aid on Iris. 

The air in the car was tense and eased a bit as soon as they saw the ship. However, they couldn’t relax yet when they heard the report of the twins. 

 


	11. The Illusion of my life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris is injured and the crew enters a crisis. 
> 
> George recounts the Illusion of his life.

* * *

 

“Ha! I won again!” Fred happily cried out throwing his hand of cards on the table.

George sighed. “It seems you have. Ok, then, which one do you pick?” He signaled to four cards placed to the side of the table. They were different from the deck of cards they were using to play Blackjack; each card depicted a caricature design of a person.

“Hm, our little Moon took the card with the Sun. What do you think they are doing?” Fred mused not paying much attention to the cards in front of him. 

“Bed fight or a real fight.” George inattentively replied. He had been feeling breathless for a while now, and unease started filling his heart. 

“I got the Storm and the Mist… who should go well with those two? The Cloud? The Rain?” Fred continued his musings ignoring George’s reply. The ignored twin sharply turned to look at his brother.

“Fred-” Yet his words were interrupted by the sudden screech of a card swerving near their ship until it stopped right in front. Down came Seamus and Cornelio with haggard expressions. Seamus quickly jumped onto the ship, forgoing the ramp where Draco was coming up with a fainted Iris. 

“Oh, you’re back! We have a few uninvited guests on the ship!” Fred reported seeing them coming back. Draco paused just for a moment before ignoring the words and resuming his quick steps towards the Operation Room, Astoria right on his heels. George’s mind, on the other hand, suddenly turned into chaos after he noticed the inert and bloodied body of Iris. 

“Hey, hey! Fred, what’s going on?!” Cornelio’s voice snapped him out of his reverie and quickly looked at his brother who had collapsed on deck. George took a step forward yet his sight spun and turned blurry. 

“Cornelio,” George gasped earning the Rain’s attention who was trying to wake Fred up. “Take Fred… take my brother to my room.” He asked. Gathering strength, he stood up and followed the others into the cabin and to the inner part of the ship. With the wall as his support, step by step, he made his way to Iris’ room. Breathing was getting harder to him but he didn’t give up, he had to get there. If not… His feet stumbled and he fell forward. 

However a dainty figure stopped him from crashing to the floor. “Are you ok?” It had been some time since he had heard Luna’s voice that didn’t spout poetry, yet he had no time to be surprised.

“Fred… Fred…” He stuttered. 

“I know. Let’s go.” She said those last words to the person standing behind her. 

The three backtracked towards the twins’ room. Cornelio was just entering the room too, carrying the unconscious Fred. Putting him on the bed, he made way for the other three who were behind him. The room suddenly felt cramped, yet nobody voiced a complaint as they saw George grab a crystal orb which contained indigo Flames, very small indigo Flames. He absorbed those Flames into his body to stabilize it. As soon as George’s countenance improved, so did Fred’s. The latter didn’t have that dangerous pallor on his face and his breath was no longer ragged. 

“That was a close call.” George sighed and slumped on the floor. 

Luna, though, didn’t think the same. “How is Iris?” She asked Cornelio, whose nerves were getting a little frayed. Iris gets hurt and the whole crew seems to lose it. Even Luna had stopped speaking in verses! What was going on?

“Draco said she took the brunt of the explosion to protect him and Seamus. She lost a lot of blood on our way here, and right now is undergoing surgery.” Cornelio replied also slumping on the floor. 

George mirthlessly chuckled. “That’s Iris for you. She has Guardians but she has never counted on us for protection. We really have such an unreasonable Sky. Too reckless.” He sighed. “But we are like moths to her Sky Flames. Intoxicated moths that can never get away, willing to be burnt.” His expression turned a bit hazy just remembering the first time he met Iris. 

Cornelio and Luna remained silent as they knew too well what George meant. It was as if you finally found the warmth you never thought you desperately needed. Like hearing those whispered words that could save you from the total darkness. Like being safely ensconced in a comfortable embrace from someone you had missed your whole life. Though, at the same time, it was like selling your mind, body and soul to the devil. Always dependent on the Flames. Always seeking for them. The mere thought of being away was as if being shredded from inside out. 

“Is she that wonderful?” An unfamiliar voice suddenly asked. Only then the other three were reminded of their extra person. 

“It’s you!” Cornelio suddenly jumped to his feet seeing the man in the suit that had pointed his gun at Seamus when the two followed Lal Mirch what felt like a long time ago. The man just glanced at Cornelio before looking back at Luna, to whom he had posed the question. 

“One of a kind.” Luna breezily commented. She then tugged the man’s sleeves. “Come. Your friends must be feeling lost to find themselves on deck.” And so, the two left the room. 

Cornelio was not stupid to not get what was going on in the ship. He had heard Fred mention uninvited guests, plural. And after seeing that man with the pressed suit, Cornelio could only think about that group Lal Mirch was mingling with. If they had come to the ship, yet the twins and Luna were calm, then that meant the group weren’t a hazard for the crew, or they were beaten by the Mists and Cloud already. If it was the latter, Cornelio could actually somewhat believe it. After all, he had trained with them. He knew their capabilities. “Is it ok for them to be here?” He still had to make sure. 

Although he ignored the reason why those seven were in the ship, plus the important fact that his girlfriend was with them, he knew the rules. He first needed to make sure the crew and the ship were safe. 

“Doesn’t matter. Just Luna alone can put them in their place.” George dismissed. He suddenly felt tired. “Your spicy girlfriend is also in the ship, don’t you want to see her?” He asked with a half-smile. 

“I...” Of course he wanted to see her but… He glanced at the door. 

“Worried about Iris? My, Cornelio, that’s how everybody in the crew fell for her charms. Her valiant personality, her humbleness, her charisma and her beauty was what captivated everybody here.” George purred while wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive way. “I won’t be surprised if you fall for her.”

Cornelio sputtered unable to retort. “Then, what about you?” He finally returned.

“Ah, Iris...” George whispered as if calling out the name of his lover. “Iris is pretty much like the sky: unreachable.” He laughed at the weird expression Cornelio was sporting. “Since you are here, let me tell you how I first met her.”

  
  


…

  
  


George, at his five years, tasted what it meant to have an unfair life. He never thought so when he realized he had three older brothers, nor when he found himself taking care of three younger siblings, among which was his own twin. The rundown shanty above his head never gave him the hint that his family was too poor to barely feed them. He never even complained about his thin clothes that were comfortable during summer but a complete nightmare in winter. No matter how destitute their neighborhood was with people living in the same condition as them; he was a happy child. 

But that was until the summer of 1866. 

The unfairness of life struck him and his family when their family, same as others around them, received the brunt of the cholera outbreak. His parents battled with the illness, using all their savings to keep all their seven children alive. However, they were not a wealthy family to begin with, and the money was like sand in their fingers in the face of such epidemic. With heartbreak and immense reluctance, they sold their two oldest and healthier boys to affluent families as servants for the meager amount of money they used to buy medicine. And the battle continued. 

His older brother, Percy, couldn’t stand anymore the decadence their family had fallen into and with eight years, he ran away from home. Not caring about his own sick body. If his parents hadn’t shown how ill and downtrodden they two were before, with the departure of Percy they finally succumbed. The house soon was filled with the constant crying of their younger sister and whining of their younger brother earning the total attention of their emaciated parents. Meanwhile, in the twins’ room, a slightly healthier George was piously taking care of sicker Fred who laid on their decrepit bed with a high fever.

“You won’t take your medicine?” George emptily asked ignoring the pungent smell of feces from his brother. He had just cleaned Fred, yet the kid had soiled himself again. He was no different either, but he ignored his own condition to tend to his twin brother. The room was also a nest of flies buzzing here and there, even carelessly resting on the twins’ faces.

Fred didn’t even have the strength to nod or shake his head. He opened his eyes that looked very big in the sunken face; the skin plastered on his bones, his whole body looked the same. His hazy eyesight could barely make out the shadow of his twin who had a cup of water with his medicine and he tiredly opened his mouth. Yet before he could take a taste of the bitter water, his body suddenly felt extremely tired, his heartbeat quickened and his breathing shortened. He looked at his brother with watery eyes not knowing what was going on and waiting for George to tell him. 

George only saw his brother’s body took a turn for the worse with a numbed expression. The cup of water fell to the filthy ground as Fred started convulsing on the bed. Not knowing what was going on, George just looked at his brother’s limpid eyes that turned dim after a while. The older twin stayed rooted to his seat, the figure of the inert body of his twin was vividly reflected on his eyes. It wasn’t until he blinked that his body also succumbed, not due to illness but to the thought that his brother was gone.

His last thoughts depicted the very innocence of a child. Instead of imagining his whole family living happily in better conditions or at least healthier without being victims of any epidemic, his mind was full of the moments he had shared with his twin. Their short life together being naughty, creating ruckuses in the neighborhood, earning scolding after scolding from their mom, being protected by their older brothers, taking care of their younger siblings when their parents weren’t at home. Those moments they were simply together. Although he liked his family and wouldn’t change it for anything, his brother was the reason he was living.

Without him, was there any reason to his life? If he was here, he had the will to live. 

“George! George!” The called out man abruptly opened his eyes. “Had a nightmare? You were trashing around.” The voice that woke him up asked him. Finally registering his surroundings, George turned to look at the person who sported a worried expression. 

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry, Fred.” George assured his twin. “What time is it?” He asked, diverting the topic. He didn’t want to mention anything about the most trying moment of his life. That day, many years ago, he had also woken up to his brother’s voice. The two feebly roamed their house only to notice both their parents and younger siblings had died, the bodies full of flies and maggots crawling on their skin. 

Frightened, the two kids ran out of the house only to see a similar scene in their neighborhood with people carrying their dead out the house. The epidemic had hit hard where they lived and they could only escape the horrifying reality when they sneakily got into a carriage from a family that was running away from the place. 

“It’s still early, or do you want to go now?” Fred asked putting his clothes on. 

George looked at the scratched back of his twin and supposed his night with that woman was a bit wild. Those uppity, stuck up ladies really let themselves go wild in bed. “Stop looking for those women. One day you will get in trouble.” He advised as the older brother.

“Can’t help it when I am handsome enough to get their attention.” Fred cheekily winked making George laugh. The two looked the same yet George never paid attention to the sultry looks or ‘accidental’ touches of those women, he was not as careless as his twin.

“Whatever.” George dismissed. He knew his twin couldn’t really get in trouble but he still tried to be a good brother. “We better go now, then we can go have fun in the new casino that was opened a few days ago.”

Fred’s eyes sparkled. He had heard the casino was very popular with lots of pretty women. You could also strike it rich there. If they could make a fortune there, then their days of robbing banks would be over. Of course, the two wouldn’t go without a bit of capital in their pockets. That’s why they needed to retire from their jobs with a bang! Clad in their expensive suits, the two made their way into the bank. They never robbed the same bank twice to avoid raising suspicion from the already notifid authorities. As soon as they entered, the two looked around as if they were looking for something.

“May I help you, sirs?” An attendant amiably approached them.

“Yes...”

“You can...”

“We want to inform ourselves how we can open a business and to put our money in this bank.” After speaking one at a time, the two spoke together confusing the attendant but luckily getting the gist of their request.

“Right, right… uh, to open an account in this bank you may go there,” the attendant signaled to the neat rows of cubicles with people behind the desks talking to customers. “For the business, you may follow me.”

“Thank you, good sir.” The two said in unison, to then make their separate ways. 

Everything was normal in the bank. The hushed conversations between employer and costumer filled the main hall of the bank as George waited for his turn. In the other corner of the bank where a couple of hopeful people who also wanted to open their own business sat, Fred was happily engaging in a conversation with a man that was looking forward to have his own shoe store. Everything was normal in the bank, except for the two red-haired men that were walking down the stairs where the bank stored the money. Opening the vault, they were greeted by the sacks of money plus a few chests with jewelry. 

They ignored the chests and moved towards the sacks filled with bills and coins. Grabbing the ones that were heavier, they slowly made their way out of the bank and into the carriage they had prepared to load the stolen money there. They could take all the money but to never raise suspicions, they only acted within the time frame of the Illusion. If their doubles were done with their business inside the bank, then there was no need to risk it. It was with that modus operandi that they were never suspected, but they still took the precaution to never rob a bank twice. When their Illusion-doubles got onto the carriage, they disappeared and only the originals remained. 

Like that, nobody noticed that a very common carriage was carrying bags of stolen money. 

In the evening, the twins changed their clothes to something more casual and swaggered to the new casino with stacks of bills in their pockets. The place was very lively with crystal-bell laughs from the women who entertained the men who asked for their company. Liquor was flowing as if it was water and money was either lost or won in the gambling tables that hosted different games. The twins smiled at each other and dove into the merry atmosphere to get rich. After playing and winning a couple of rounds in Blackjack, the two indulged themselves in alcohol and women. 

“What a merry bunch we have here. Are you enjoying yourselves, sirs?” A man suddenly sat at their table interrupting the twins’ flirting. 

“Indeed, we are. And you are?” George cautiously looked at the man with very peculiar attire.

“You may call me Checker Face.” The man replied and pointed at his mask that was indeed checkered. There was a hint of joking in his voice. “I’m sorry to meddle into your endeavour but there is someone who wants to meet you.”

“Who?” Fred asked a bit curious.

“My, that would ruin the surprise.” Checker Face chuckled. “Why don’t you follow me and see for yourselves?” Saying so, he stood up and walked across the hall among the throng of people.

The twins looked at each other seeing the suspicion in their eyes but still following behind the weird man. If danger was awaiting them, they were sure they could escape. Deceiving and escaping were their forte as they had lived their lives depending on only the other for their illegal adventures. The three men walked to the back of the casino and up some narrow stairs. The noise from the main hall had considerably subsided and only restrained conversations could be heard behind some doors. If there were some ambiguous sounds, then they were completely ignored. Finally, the three stopped before a door in the back of the hallway.

After knocking, the voice of a woman told them to “Come in.”

The voice alone rose the twins’ interest, yet seeing the woman sitting inside the room shocked them completely. A petite young woman with curly dark hair, milky white skin and very green eyes clad in a very elegant dress greeted them. But that was not the reason for their shock. They knew her, they had seen her from afar, they were aware of her name, who she actually was, the family she belonged to, but most importantly… 

“They said you died.” George said with a strangled voice. 

“Of course they said so.” She calmly replied, not offended at the rather rude opening comment. Though, the fact she wasn’t offended didn’t mean others weren’t. Like the dour man sitting beside her, who looked extremely displease at the remark.

“So, are you back for revenge? You want us to help you?” Fred immediately sat down at the table without being invited and rapidly shot his own conjectures. Although him and his brother hadn’t done such jobs, they were definitely up for it. They needed to expand their scope of business, robbing banks and cheating in a casino were too dull and simple, besides they couldn’t do it their whole life. 

The young woman intently stared at Fred until the latter became very uncomfortable, but he didn’t shy away from her gaze. Her hand slowly crawled and grabbed his. “I don’t have such high ambitions. Instead, I am very interested in you.” Any other time Fred would be very flattered to get the interest of such a beautiful woman and would be already trying to get into her pants, but this time there was only fear in his mind. Her hand, although small, felt like a great pressure on him, as if crushing him… no, it was as if he was being sucked, taken far away to a very comfortable place. 

“Stop.” George called out putting his own hand on hers. The woman smiled but heeded his words and released Fred’s hand. Fred came back from his stupor and kept silent, somewhat missing that feeling from the young woman but knowing well it was also a dangerous feeling. 

“Speak, why did you bring us here?” She suddenly asked the man that had presented himself as Checker Face. George knew the man was not good business. He just confirmed it hearing her questions. It seemed this Checker Face had deceived them into coming to this room, not her wanting to meet the twins. It was Checker Face who wanted to gather the four of them. 

“Let’s not get hasty. There are still a few others we need to meet.” Checker Face, though, didn’t reveal anything.

“Then, there is no need for us to be here.” The dour man spoke in a drawl standing up and signaling the woman to do so, too.

“Hey, hey, I said I would give you what you need. Aren’t you curious about it?” Checker Face immediately baited. 

“There is nothing left for me,” the woman told the dour man with a look that warned him to stop taking decisions for her. “Let’s just follow him.” George’s eyes flickered and stared at the woman longer than it was appropriate until he was taken out of his thoughts by the scowling face of the dour man who blocked his view of her, of Iris. 

  
  


…

  
  


“And you just followed him?” Cornelio asked incredulous. That sounded very much like a bad man luring kids to do unspeakable things to them. 

“The way she said there was nothing left for her… It was very heartbreaking, Cornelio. I thought my life was miserable but her… She had it all yet it was taken away from her rather cruelly.” George defended their actions. It did sound very silly to just follow a strange man though there were many circumstances that actually led them to do so. To George, Iris’ pain was something he wanted her to share with him. 

“Do you… perhaps, actually like Iris?” Cornelio hesitantly asked. George’s expression was different from the others’. Draco and Astoria looked up to Iris as if she was an older sister. Seamus probably thought of her as an excellent comrade, someone he could depend on. Although Luna was strange, she too brightened as long as Iris was near. George, on the other hand, it felt much more intimate… “You let her be intimate with others, doesn’t it bother you?” He asked another question thinking the previous one was too obvious.

George looked at Cornelio with a small smile. “Sometimes, Cornelio, love is not about having that person all for yourself. Don’t you think that as long as she is happy, you could be happy too?” Cornelio didn’t think so. He was not so saintly and selfless; if he wanted something, he would cling to it until he got it and even then he would hide it from others so it wasn’t coveted. Even the person he liked. He said so to George who sighed hearing his reply. “When you live as long as we do, you will then understand what I mean.” Plus, George himself thought he was not worthy of being more than her Guardian.

The words startled Cornelio who was reminded of something very important from George’s story that he forgot to ask as soon as Iris was mentioned. “George, Fred… he, he…” He thought it would be easy, but the moment he wanted to voice the question, it was actually very hard. Yet he was spared from asking when they heard a racket coming from the deck. Cornelio inwardly sighed. It seemed that no matter how curious he was, there was something inside him that told him it was fine. That whatever they were, he was fine with it. He was already part of the crew, there was nothing more he wanted.

Was that due to the bond with his Sky? He was unsure. But he had no time to ponder when the racket got noisier. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was a bit heartbreaking writing this chapter due to the underlying meaning of what actually happened to the twins... So, can you actually guess what happened when they both collapsed? I think it is obvious xD
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	12. There will be poetry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew prepares for their mission with a bit of help.
> 
> Renato and Luna share a bit about their past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are getting there! 4 more chapters and the epilogue left! This should be the first fic in the rainbow series to be finished :D 
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 

“Let me see him! I know he is here. You and your group of freaks better let Cornelio off!” Lal Mirch yelled on deck pointing at Luna who stood in front of her unperturbed. Lal’s companions remained silent; they knew well that Lal Mirch was acting that way due to the Sun Flames in her brain. Besides, just as easy as they had been released, they could also be caught. They didn’t dare to underestimate the dainty and ethereal woman in front of them. 

“ _Giant voice that orders chaos in the mind-”_

“Shut up!” Lal Mirch cut Luna off. Her body still shivered remembering the horror she went through after being captured by this poetry-spewing woman. That same fear made her body reflexively react and she lunged at the blonde-haired woman. Luna easily caught Lal’s wrist, and taking advantage of the strength Lal Mirch used to pounce, she pivoted on her heel and sent the Rain flying off deck towards the beach. 

“ _As long as the heart and rationality battling they continue; as long as there is hope and memories, there will be poetry!”_ Luna continued her verses looking down at Lal from the railings. Although her words sounded very inspiring, the way she said it was very fear-inducing. Luna had never ever been cut off, not even by her companions when she met them for the first time. She was angry. She had been upset and jittery after seeing Iris getting hurt. Wanting to do something for her Sky, she had planned on talking with the group of guests, yet she was faced with such a rude person. 

Down in the beach, Lal Mirch jumped to her feet glaring at Luna. She was not one to be defeated by her own fears so she wanted to fight the Cloud again to prove herself that she was strong. However, she was not given the chance when she felt her cheek sting. Unconsciously, she rubbed it yet she froze as she felt the liquid on her fingertips. Blood. How was it possible? Neither had moved, yet she was already hurt. Wind picked up, the two women kept staring at each other yet Lal Mirch could clearly hear a voice coming from behind her. 

“ _I thunder in the torrent, and whistle in the flash, and blind with the lightning, and roar with the storm!”_ Clouds heralded the coming of a storm, they were home for lightning and creators of thunders. They came and went either peacefully or with an immense rage.

“Stop, Luna.” A voice suddenly said. Seamus calmly walked out the cabin after he heard the ruckus, George and Cornelio behind him. The Luna who was standing on deck dissipated with the wind. The guests onboard tensed seeing the scene on the beach. Lal Mirch stood rooted in place, a ghostly figure floating behind her. However, a shiny dagger had stopped right under Lal’s chin, ominously pointing up, ready to pierce its victim’s skull. And another hidden one was pressing on her back, right where her heart is.

“ _Sighs are air and disappear in the air. Tears are water and disappear in the sea. Tell me, woman: when love is forgotten, do you know where it disappears to?”_ The wispy figure vanished and reappeared beside Seamus. 

Most of the time, Cornelio didn’t understand Luna’s poetry, yet he thought he could get a glimpse of the actual meaning of her last verses. He looked at the pale Lal Mirch by the beach, seeming very fragile yet stubbornly remaining on her feet. How many times had he dreamed of a Lal Mirch relying on him? How many times had he dreamed of protecting her from any danger? But how could he do that when she herself ran towards danger forgetting about what she would be leaving behind if she ever succumbed to that danger? Was she that willing to throw aside her life just to prove herself that she was strong? Cornelio once thought himself strong, yet he realized there were always stronger people out there. 

Strength wasn’t everything. Knowing how strong you were to face your problems was what mattered. He could no longer recognize the Nella he adored and liked on the woman standing by the beach.

“Our captain is injured, so I will take command of this ship from now on.” Seamus relayed. “As to your illegal boarding on a military vessel, I will let it go. If you would please follow me.” Turning around he walked inside the ship with Luna and George right on his heels. It wasn’t the first time Seamus was in charge in the case of a missing Iris. Cornelio’s gaze lingered on Lal before following his crew members. The other seven had no choice but to enter too. They just hoped it was not another trap. 

Luckily, they were taken to the ante room in the captain’s cabin. The place felt very crowded with eleven people inside. Seven standing in one side and four in the other. Each group decided on a spokesperson to talk, though it was obvious the seven were at a disadvantage. Either way, they sent their Sun, Renato Sinclair, while Seamus took the seat that belonged to Iris as the captain. 

“I will not ask why you are on our ship, that doesn’t matter anymore.” Seamus began before throwing a file that contained the information about their mission. “You will help us with this mission to eradicate a net of pirates.” George and Luna’s pupils contracted. If they were looking for help outside, it meant Iris’ condition was not that good and they needed to rush back to Italy to treat her.

“And if we decline?” Renato asked without taking a look at the file.

“Then consider yourselves our prisoners until the end of your lives.” Seamus responded with no inflection in his voice. He extended his hand towards the file but the man in front of him quickly reacted and snatched it. Seamus impassively looked at Renato who was looking back at him with fire in his eyes. The Storm smiled. “Do you think we would ask for your help if we didn’t need to? In fact, we would never have left our Mist and Cloud in the ship if we didn’t know you were following us.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Seamus waited for the Sun’s decision. 

Renato’s face twitched. They thought they had been sneaky enough in their tailing but it was obvious they had been discovered long ago. He had disgracefully lost one time after the another facing this crew. According to his pride, he would be hating them to his core yet he found himself helpless, and actually respecting them. The best seven, that creepy Checker Face had said. If him and his companions were the best seven, then what about the people in front of him? Were they monsters? No, he didn’t believe in that. 

Just for the sake of knowing… “Ok, we will help you.” He promised.

“Alright, here’s the plan-” Seamus had no time to lay out the ideas he had come up with to take care of the pirates when the door opened and in came a tired Astoria with blood stains on the doctor robe she donned herself to help Draco with the surgery.

George perked up seeing the Lightning’s figure. “How’s she?” He rapidly asked.

“Stable.” Astoria conservatively replied, but that was not the reason why she was there. “A fleet of around 50 ships are entering the storm. It seems they somehow discovered we decimated the branch of the Costa Family here in Gibraltar.” She relayed the information she just got.

Seamus paused and started making a different plan. “Time is tight. Enemies are numerous. We will have to use the heavy artillery.” He mused.

“I am still unsure if the ships are reinforced ones or not.” Astoria interjected. 

“Then we are in a pinch.” Seamus sighed. It wouldn’t be the first time they faced a reinforced ship but the situation was a bit troublesome at the moment. Of course, reinforced didn’t mean the material the ship was made but the fact there were Flame users in the ship who could help protect the ship just like how the crew did with their Pedretti. With time they could sink those ships but time was something they lacked as they would be sooner rather than later surrounded from a whole fleet of pirates. 

“Let me do it.” Astoria said. “Iris’ job, let me do it.” Seamus had already made adjustments to their previous plan as they had no Iris, yet there Astoria was, asking to replace their Sky. Doing things for Iris, their self-sufficient Sky, had become their obsession. If the opportunity presented itself, then they had to fight among themselves for it. Iris sometimes was peeved by their enthusiasm but she never tried to curb it. And they were thankful for that. 

Seamus looked at the woman who didn’t look as if she had just lost her son; she stood strong and determined to finish their mission no matter what. If not for the mission itself, then for Iris. “Fine, then.” Seamus sighed. “Here’s the plan...” 

  
  


…

  
  


The marine breeze blew on the dainty figure of the young woman dressed in yellow. Since Iris had been unconscious, not only her but the others in the ship had been experiencing fatigue. They, however, didn’t show it. As good as they were at fighting, they were also good at covering their weaknesses. She sometimes wondered until when they would last in that situation. Was it actually ok for them to be alive? Draco and Astoria had had a reason in the form of their son. But that son was gone, so the couple, same as the rest of the crew, had nothing to live for. Would this actually be their last mission?

“ _So you could read them with your grey eyes, so you could sing them with your clear voice, so they could fill with emotion your chest, I made my verses.”_ She recited as the ship sailed, the rumbling of thunders following behind them. _“So they find in your chest a haven, so you give them youth, life and warmth, three things I can no longer give them, I made my verses.”_

“To my Moon.” Someone suddenly said behind her. She didn’t turn around and kept her gaze forward. But she still waited for the person to continue. “My Mother used to like that poem. She used to recite it constantly. _To delight you with my joy, to let you suffer with my pain, to make you feel my fluttering life, I made my verses. So I could place before you the offering of my life and my love, with soul, broken dreams, laughs, tears, I made my verses._ She hoped to recite it to my… to that man. In the end, the man she loved was the one who put an end to her life.”

“I’m sorry.” She serenely said to the man in the suit standing beside her. 

Renato shook his head. “I asked her where she learned the poem. She showed me a paper with the verses written in elegant calligraphy. On the other side of the paper there was a drawing of a girl with a dreamy smile and vivid grey eyes. She looked like you.” Luna remained silent. Renato continued. “My Mother actually stole a few pages from a poetry book. We were very poor and could barely afford food. That man only returned to the house to have relations with my Mother. He never left money for us. Right after he killed my Mother, I killed him.” He recounted with a hint of mirth in his voice, bordering on mocking.

“Pandora Lovegood wrote that poem to her Husband, Xenophilius. The drawing of the girl is of their daughter, Luna Lovegood. She also didn’t have the chance to show the poem to him.” Luna said not caring about what Renato would think of her. This was their last mission, right? “Do you want to know what happened to them? I think you would love to.” 

  
  


…

  
  


“What do you mean you don’t need us anymore?” Xenophilius asked with trepidation. 

A man dressed in a military uniform with his epaulettes showing his rank of Major opened and closed the books on Xenophilius’ desk. They were poetry books signed under the Lovegood name. Almost 20 years of being a spy, and Xenophilius took his secondary job seriously as the Major noticed the rows upon rows of poetry books on the shelves. Almost 20 years of supplying information to Britain from within the enemy territory, Russia. Almost 20 years of a well-done job, yet with the treaty already signed… 

“I heard you married and you have a daughter. It seems you didn’t lose out too much in this deal, Xenophilius.” The man drawled staring at the spy they had nurtured since he was a little kid, and planted when he wasn’t even a teen. The spy who kept silent correctly guessing what was going to happen as soon as the Major arrived at his house. That was why Xenophilius was chosen as a British spy, he was very clever. “How long have you been living here?”

“18 years.” Xenophilius reluctantly replied.

“18 years...” The Major repeated looking out the window and at the quaint neighborhood the Lovegood family lived in as any other Russian family. “It’s been so long now. Your Wife is a native, right?”

Xenophilius tensed and fiercely glared at the Major. “She doesn’t know anything, nor does my daughter. Spare them.” 

The Major quietly regarded their spy with renewed interest. However, he still thought they weren’t very thorough in their training as Xenophilius was able to split his loyalty between his country and his family. That was not allowed. Not in that line of work. “Of course.” The Major nodded and smiled. “Britain doesn’t need two Russian natives. I just hope they can survive after you are gone.”

Xenophilius sighed and slumped on his chair. Closing his eyes, he nodded, signaling he was ready. After all, sooner or later, he would be facing that fate. His heart somewhat lamented the fact he still did a well job, yet they were getting rid of him, a loose end. But what he regretted even more was not being able to spend his life together with his family. It was obvious he couldn’t enjoy the best of both worlds in this life. Feeling the muzzle on his forehead, his heart stuttered, yet he forced himself to calm down and he silently gritted his teeth. 

_Bang!_

The Major cleaned the blood that had spilled on his gun with a bored expression. Their spy was a complete failure. Gun in hand, he walked upstairs where he knew the woman and the child were. Opening and closing the doors in the second floor, he finally found his targets. What he didn’t expect was the gun pointed at him by a shaking woman. She was very pretty, no wonder Xenophilius was willing to betray his country by marrying her. There was a girl on the bed looking very pale and almost dead. If she wasn’t dead already. The Major knew the girl had a heart condition. 

“Put the gun down, beautiful. You will hurt yourself.” The Major said with a smirk. 

The woman continued shaking but she didn’t lower the gun. “You killed him.” She said with a choked voice. 

“Oh no, he killed himself. He, you see, betrayed his country. So it was right for us to give him a choice, and he chose to take his own life. Leaving you and your daughter alone.” The man righteously stated. 

She shook her head. “He didn’t betray anybody. Your country killed him.” 

The Major’s face darkened. “My, so it seems you knew. Xenophilius stupidly thought he had hidden it well. You knew, yet you remained by his side. You two are really traitorous people.” He offhandedly commented.

“In this house there is no Britain, there is no Russia. We don’t belong to any of them. There is only the freedom of our art, of our words reaching the people, of-”

_Bang!_

“Tch. Such a boring woman. What did Xenophilius see in her?” The Major sneered as he looked at the crumbled body of the woman whose blood was already pooling under her. “Hm, must have been a good fuck if he was willing to have a daughter with her.” He mused as he regarded the sickly girl on the bed. There were terrifying dark spots around her eyes and didn’t move despite her mother being shot dead right beside her. The girl must already be dead. 

_Bang!_

“Just in case.” He murmured shooting the girl right on the left side of her chest. The coppery smell of the blood started permeating the room and the Major calmly made his way out failing to notice the grey eyes of the girl eerily looking at him. She indeed have a heart condition, a condition in which her heart was actually in the right side of her chest. At most, the bullet would have puncture her lung still killing her, yet there was something neither the Major, nor her parents knew. 

The bullet he had shot slowly made its way out of her body and the hole in her chest closed at a fast speed. Her heart condition had left her bedridden and it was in those moments of life-and-death that she acquired a new power which looked like purple Flames. The past few months she had experimented with it, and she discovered she could actually dissipate and move around like a will o’ the wisp, much like the clouds in the sky. It were those powers that saved her from that bullet, yet it seemed she was left alone with her parents dead. 

She feebly climbed down her bed and walked towards the cooling body of her Mom. She bit her lip, refusing to cry, as her gaze moved to the book sitting on the chair her Mom used to sit on when she kept her company in her room. It was sprinkled with a few droplets of blood which she cleaned and brought it closer to her chest. It contained the poems her Mom was writing for her next book. In the end, these poems never had the chance to see the light, not even the one her Mom had just composed to her Dad. Ignoring the corpse in her room, she went downstairs just to encounter the corpse of her Dad. Her tears finally spilled. 

Noise coming from outside caught her attention and she saw a group of uniformed men were bustling around her house, there was a weird smell coming from outside and soon she knew what they were planning to do. They were going to burn the house. Flames quickly appeared, fueled by the kerosene they had spread around. Yet she still stood by the window, staring at the Major’s figure, the person who killed her parents. Who robbed her of her precious family.

The man felt as if he was being observed and looked around until he noticed the sickly figure of that girl looking back at him from one of the windows of the house. He received quite the fright when she smiled, and goosebumps rose on his skin. Blinking, the figure disappeared and only then he relaxed. It was only an hallucination. He didn’t stay there to see the house burn as he had more important things to do, once again failing to notice the dainty, small figure of a girl looking at him from an alley. The girl glanced one last time at the place she had called home for ten years to then walk away. She swore she would avenge her parents for the injustice. 

Years later, the underground society spoke about a young woman who did assassination jobs. Her rate of success was impeccable, with no failure, and her services were very cheap. Cheap in comparison with others in the same line of work and not as efficient as her. Rumors said that she had been waiting for a mission that allowed her to end a Major General from the British Army. More rumors claimed that her favorite targets were people from the military. So, if someone wanted to get rid of an officer, she was the right person one had to go to. 

In a dingy pub, a young woman carelessly cleaned the tables. The customers were never the hygienic sort so it didn’t matter if the tables were spotless or not. There was only her and the half-asleep bartender in the pub. As they had just opened, they didn’t expect customers until later. Unexpectedly, a man with a strange attire entered the pub. He was wearing a clean suit that greatly contrasted with the dirty background of the pub, there was a strange mask on his face, and he looked very dandy with the hat. He didn’t seem to mind the environment of the pub and calmly made his way to the bar.

“Two glasses of your best Whiskey.” The man said to the bartender who startled and instantly went about preparing the drinks as if he hadn’t been sleeping on his stool. 

“Here you go, sir!” The bartender said with a smile he thought looked amiable yet his yellowed broken teeth just gave it a creepy vibe.

The man nodded and grabbing his drinks, he made his way towards the table the young woman was cleaning. He swiftly sat on one of the chair and put one of the drinks in front of her as he sipped the other. “No, thanks.” She immediately rejected. It wouldn’t be the first, nor the last time she was bought drinks. 

“Well, it seems you are right in your actions. The best Whiskey here tastes like the cheapest out there.” The man said in a low voice putting the glass aside. Though, he didn’t have to care about the volume as the bartender was again snoring behind the bar. 

“You should have asked for the Vodka. It’s better.” She suggested. She had to make an effort to increase the sales of the pub. 

“Vodka, huh? You know a lot about Russian drinks?” He asked with a bit of meaning in his voice. She paused and glanced at him, yet she continued cleaning the rest of the chairs.

“Born and raised in the slums, sir. Been working here for a lot of time, so, I know which drink is good and which one isn’t. By the way, never ask for a Scotch.” She smiled. The man knew he wouldn’t make a breakthrough with her as she kept denying and evading, so he took the straightforward path. From his lapel, he took out a couple of pictures. She would have kept ignoring the man and whatever he took out, yet her gaze locked onto the person in the picture. She lifted her hand and with her index finger, she dragged the picture right in front of her. _“Sometimes I remember sighing of my past suffering… Bitter is my pain, but at least, to bear is to live!”_

“Are you interested now, Luna Lovegood?” The man smirked, knowing he had her.

“No payment. Just tell me where he is, where he had been hiding all these years.” She spit with venom.

“Of course he hid, my dear. You have been very high profile, what with killing all those who were present when he killed that family in Russia and burned down the house all those years ago. However, I have to say that he made things difficult for himself. To hide, to always fear that he would be next...” His voice sounded very excited of the way things panned out for the man of the picture, the Major General Luna had been looking for. She had trained, learned from vicious mentors the art of assassination. She had killed all sorts of people, awaiting for her real target. And the target finally appeared. “But, in exchange of the information, do something for me.” 

“Deal.” 

And with that the fate of Major General Thomas Coke was sealed. When Major General Coke opened his eyes, he found himself laying on the damp, hard ground. He remembered he had gone to sleep on his comfortable bed in a secluded and secret house in Manchester, how was it that he ended up in that desolate place? Looking around, he noticed the houses around him were half burnt and crumbled. The place looked very deserted. And for some reason he thought he had been there before, he just failed to know where the place is. 

A gelid breeze blew, sending shivers through his body, yet nothing could be compared to the voice that suddenly sounded.

“ _There can be no poets, but there will always be poetry.”_ It was a melodious and placid voice, yet Major General Coke couldn’t appreciate it as his gaze locked onto the blonde young woman standing a few meters away from him. There were times he would have nightmares about a girl looking at him with a smile as she burned. However, what he could always remember about the girl were her bright, grey eyes. Much like the ones the woman in front of him had. _“As long as the waves of light furiously beat with a touch; as long as the sun dresses the shredded clouds in fire and gold…”_

“Who-who are you?!” He yelled. Fear was starting to creep in his heart. He had no gun, no knife, no nothing to defend himself with. He looked around for a cub or something that could help him, yet found nothing. The woman ignored his question and gracefully waved her hand. Sharp pain coursed through his leg and with a shriek, he crumbled to the ground. His leg now sported a deep cut from which rivulets of blood came out; he knew a main artery must have been cut. “I-I don’t know you! Let me go!” He cried out.

“ _As long as the air in its lap carries perfume and harmony; as long as there is spring in the world, there will be poetry!”_ With another wave of her hand, another cut appeared on the man’s body. This time aimed at his arm. 

“Please! Please! Let me go! Who paid you to do this? I will pay you double if you let me go!” The man, unable to stand the pain, begged as he dragged himself away from the woman not caring about the trail of blood he left behind. 

“ _As long as science doesn’t reach where the sources of life resides, and in the sea or in the sky there exists an abyss that schemes stop…”_ Her hand no longer nonchalantly waved; instead, both her hands madly swung around making the ground bloom in red flowers and his screaming voice bring sound to the desolate place 

“Cough… stop… cough… I.. don’t know… cough, cough… who are you?” Blood dribbled down Major General Coke’s chin. 

“ _As long as Humanity always advances yet doesn’t know where it goes; as long as there is always a mystery to Men, there will be poetry!”_ The woman could no longer remain steady and her tears silently fell down her cheeks. “I am sad Major Coke. Sad you don’t remember me anymore. But I guess you can remember the man who wrote this poem, Xenophilius Lovegood.”

Thomas Coke was barely hanging to his dear life, his body was sprawled on the ground as he couldn’t move anymore. His tendons had been cut and he was slowly but surely losing not only blood, but his life too. His hearing was failing him, yet his consciousness jerked the moment he heard the name of Xenophilius Lovegood. A wheeze laugh escaped his lips. “It was you… The others… It was you.” He brokenly said. 

“It was me.” She admitted. “I hope, after you atone for your sins, you apologize to them. To my parents.” She let out a rattled breath. The man only chuckled before he breathed his last. “I am sorry, Mom, Dad. This is all I could do for you.” With those last words, she vanished. On the place Luna once called home for ten years, burnt and forgotten, she left the corpse of the man who took away the lives of Xenophilius and Pandora Lovegood. 

 

 


End file.
